Raise Digital Age of Consent to 16, Say Experts

Cybersecurity experts have recommended that the government increase the digital age of consent from 13 to 16 because of safety risks for children.

They were “unequivocally” opposed to the Irish government’s position where children can sign legal agreements with online service providers at 13 and have their personal information sold on to third parties.

An EU privacy law due to come into force in May requires each country to set an age threshold for children to be allowed to sign up without direct parental consent to websites and technology services that process personal data. The Irish government agreed to set this at 13 last year after a consultation process with various stakeholders.