The Polish DPA joins the celebration of the Day of New Technologies in Education

The Day of New Technologies in Education will be held for the fourth time. It is an initiative of the Ministry of Education and Science, organised together with education superintendents, which aims to promote information and communication technologies used in work with students at school and outside school. The Personal Data Protection Office joins this event, which will be launched on April 29, 2022.

‒ New technologies have a huge impact on modern society and economic development. It is also worth noting that the digital revolution is accompanied by the growing popularity of "smart" mobile devices and applications that collect information about users. Children and youth are better at using ICT than their parents and grandparents. Digital skills are thus becoming indispensable for young people; they are their everyday life ‒ said Tomasz Soczyński, Director of the High Tech Department at the Personal Data Protection Office.

‒ An important task of contemporary education is to provide the young generation with, among other things, appropriate preparation for the skilful use of new technologies. One of the elements of this preparation is to make children and youth aware of the need to protect personal data and privacy while using technological facilities, which they deal with or will have to deal with while learning and playing, but also in public or private spaces ‒ said Urszula Góral, Director of the International Cooperation and Education Department.

Organised by the Ministry of Education and Science, the event is part of the supervisory authority's mission to disseminate knowledge and understanding of the risks, as well as regulations, safeguards and rights related to the processing of personal data in society. A special place in the educational activities of the DPA is given to children.

The Personal Data Protection Office has prepared an advice for teachers and students entitled. "It is worth knowing ... New technologies and privacy. How to take care of safety on the Internet?" (link with the information in Polish opens in a new tab).

The material presents threats to privacy posed by careless use of new technologies. These include loss of access to online accounts, experiencing hate speech, fake news, deepfake or infecting hardware with malware. The DPA’s experts also presented some practical tips on what to do so that young users of new technologies handle their personal data safely and thus consciously take care of their privacy. The advice is supplemented by a fiche explaining the most important concepts and a quiz allowing students to test their knowledge.

Being aware of the fact that effective identity protection results not only from knowledge, but also from appropriate behaviour, the President of the Personal Data Protection Office puts great emphasis on shaping appropriate attitudes among the youngest Poles. Therefore, this topic is also present in the Office's educational programme for schools „Your data – Your concern”.

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You can take care of your privacy if you keep your balance and follow some basic rules:

1. USE ONLY A TRUSTED CONNECTION

Avoid using public, publicly accessible Wi-Fi. Also, do not enter any data on websites that do not use encryption for such information, i.e. do not have the https shortcut at the beginning of the address and a closed padlock icon in the browser address bar. You should also consider using a proven VPN application.

2. USE STRONG AND DIFFERENTIATED PASSWORDS

Use strong, varied passwords for applications and systems. Also, do not use the same password for different accounts. Do not write down set passwords so that no one but you can access them - only you should know your password. Remember also to change your passwords regularly. It is also recommended to use the so-called two-factor authentication, such as SMS codes, tokens or physical security keys.

3. MANAGE PERMISSIONS IN AN APPLICATION

Control what you share and with whom, who can see your photos, and whether your profile should be visible to external search engines. When downloading an application, such as a language learning application, pay attention to what personal data and device features it requires access to. Some applications request access to your location, photos, contacts or documents, even if this is not necessary for the provision of the service. Check what cookies are stored by the website you are visiting.

4. BE AWARE OF WHO IS GOING TO USE YOUR DATA AND HOW

Make sure that the website you are visiting has a privacy policy and a notice on the processing of personal data (information clause) that contains information about the controller, such as its contact details and data protection rules. In particular, check whether your data as a user is profiled and whether decisions are taken by automated means, i.e. without your participation, but by technical means. This information should be provided in a transparent and understandable manner.

5. BE CAREFUL

Beware of so-called phishing, which involves Internet criminals sending links to fake websites in order to steal your access data - websites that resemble those we use every day. Be vigilant before you open a link and make sure it's from a trusted source.

6. DO NOT DISCLOSE TOO MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF

Limit the information that you disclose about yourself online. In particular, do not post copies of your identity documents, financial information or other information that can be misused by third parties.

7. USE THE PRINCIPLE OF LIMITED TRUST

Do not trust strangers online! You never know who is on the other end and what their intentions are. Do not accept invitations from unknown users on social media.