Who consents for a child
For younger children, a parent or legal guardian must consent on their behalf.
As children mature, they acquire the capacity to make privacy decisions themselves. The OPC generally considers that children 13 and older can consent in routine situations, with parental involvement still appropriate for higher-risk activities.
Quebec's Law 25 treats children under 14 as requiring parental consent and sets strict rules for profiling.
Online services and children
Websites and apps directed at children must:
- Avoid collecting more information than necessary.
- Provide age-appropriate notices that children can understand.
- Disable behavioural advertising and profiling by default for users under 18.
- Offer strong default privacy settings.
Schools and children's records
Elementary and secondary schools are covered by provincial access-and-privacy laws, which generally give parents (and mature minors) access to the child's records.