Beyond fun and games: Exploring privacy risks in children’s apps

This article examines privacy and security risks in children’s mobile apps, highlighting research that many child-targeted apps collect and share personal data with limited deletion options, while enforcement of COPPA and GDPR-K remains inconsistent. It outlines key risks—excessive data collection, exploitative advertising, in-app purchases, inadequate parental controls, opaque privacy policies, oversharing, exposure to inappropriate content, and app security weaknesses—and provides practical guidance for parents on education, app vetting, parental controls, device security (including MFA and reputable anti-malware), limiting ad tracking, and choosing vetted, child-friendly apps.