Latest news with #MaudeBonenfant
CTV News
02-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Montreal researcher sounds alarm over data collection in children's gaming apps
A Montreal researcher is raising concerns about the amount of personal data being collected by children's gaming apps. As digital gaming continues to captivate young audiences, a growing concern has emerged regarding the hidden risks posed by mobile apps targeting children. A study by Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) professor Maude Bonenfant reveals that many of these popular games are not just after children's attention; they are after their personal data as well. 'The mobile games it's like a Trojan horse, and then there is a backdoor where third parties are collecting all the data on the device,' said Bonenfant. Her research analyzed 140 mobile games designed for children and found that many of them were collecting personal information. Gaming apps are collecting data Some are concerned about gaming apps directed at children and their ability to collect personal data. This includes text messages, location data, and photo albums, all used to create the child's digital profile. 'The objective is really to do some profiling and then sell those profiles to make advertisements, but also to change the way the game is made,' said Bonenfant. Bonenfant says the games use 'gambling-like' strategies to keep kids hooked. Tech analyst Carmi Levy calls this a crisis. 'We talk about technology's impact on kids all the time. This is a perfect example of how it's being marketed, like a sugar-sweet treat desserts, but it's incredibly damaging to them and to their futures,' said Levy. Bonenfant says the process is deceptively simple. Children download a free game from the app store, and once they accept the terms and conditions, that is when third parties gain access to their personal information. She says she would like to see Quebec enforce stricter regulations surrounding privacy laws. The president of the English Parents' Committee Association of Quebec, Katherine Korakakis, says the key lies in awareness. 'Parents perhaps can make different choices if they know this,' says Korakakis. 'Like, hey, giving my kid this phone and allowing them to use this app will result in X, Y, Z, perhaps [they] will make different decisions.' She says the association is advocating for schools to teach children the potential dangers of this type of technology. That said, Bonenfant suggests switching to gaming consoles, claiming they offer better privacy compared to mobile games. Levy, on the other hand, is urging everyone to carefully read the fine print before accepting all the terms and conditions. 'The games are free, and we pay with data,' said Levy.
CBC
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Your kids' data could be for sale; new child-care funding: CBC's Marketplace cheat sheet
Miss something this week? Don't panic. CBC's Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need. Want this in your inbox? Get the Marketplace newsletter every Friday. Hey, parents! Read this before letting your kid download a new game How mobile games keep kids playing and what they do to kids' brains 7 hours ago Duration 1:00 A Marketplace investigation has pulled back the curtain on how some mobile games, which seem to attract children, use loopholes in rules protecting kids' data — allowing marketers to build advertising profiles tailored to them, which can then be more effective at influencing their behaviour. Not only that, but some games also collect the device's location, which some companies buy, sell and use for targeted advertising. The data is sold with the promise of being anonymous and free of children's information but Marketplace was able to track down a child using a data sample it received from a company that collects location data. Games in the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store are supposed to follow American and European laws that prohibit collecting children's personal information without parental consent, but experts say game developers are easily getting around the rules by putting age restrictions in the games' fine print. Marketplace looked at 20 of the most popular games in the two app stores to see how often a game's content rating in mobile app stores would differ from the developer's privacy policy. Journalists found the privacy policies of many of the games said they were only suitable for players aged 13 and up, while the content rating in the app stores, such as E for everyone, suggests the games are appropriate for younger players. Since most parents look at the app store rating and not individual games privacy policies, many children could be playing games that are collecting their data without parents realizing it. Though there are federal laws in place to protect people's privacy, researchers say Canada's legislation hasn't kept pace with technology and has no specific protections for children. "Would you accept that when your kid is playing, there are 10 adults around with pads, noting how he's behaving, where he is, what he's doing? It's the same thing," says Maude Bonenfant, a Canada Research Chair on Gaming, Technologies and Society. Google said the International Age Rating Coalition, not Google, sets the app content ratings in the Play Store. It also said it can't determine how developers handle user data but said apps have descriptions of how data is collected and handled and the Play Store includes a Families section with games designed specifically for children. Apple said it doesn't dictate an app's privacy policy, apps in the App Store must follow local laws and none of the games Marketplace looked at are in its App Store Kids category, which it says has different rules for apps collecting user data. Read more You can learn more on how to limit advertisers from tracking you on your mobile device by watching the full investigation, "Gaming the System," on Friday, March 7 at 8 p.m.. (8:30 in N.L.) on CBC TV and CBC Gem. A massive data leak has revealed who is behind two major scam call centres — and Canadians are a favoured target The scammers typically ply their schemes from abroad with impunity, as domestic police investigators struggle even to identify them, let alone bring them to justice. But thanks to a massive leak of records — which reveals in an unprecedented way the internal workings of the scammers — Radio-Canada and a global team of journalists have been able to track them down. The leaked documents show that the two scam networks have defrauded at least 32,000 victims out of more than $275 million US, with the thieves operating like any well-oiled big business: human resources departments, IT support teams and bespoke customer-relationship management software for tracking victims. Among the leaked files are audio recordings of more than one million calls to victims and nearly 20,000 video captures of the scammers' computer screens — recordings that were made so the scam networks could keep an eye on their employees and sharpen their skills at ensnaring their marks. Canadians are a favoured target, the leaked records reveal. Canada was the No. 2 country most often called by the Georgian scam organization (after Great Britain), accounting for nearly one in five calls. For the other scam network, based in Israel and Europe, Canada ranked first, with more than 8,000 victims, far ahead of Spain, Australia or Britain. Read more Canada is looking to add PFAS, which are linked to cancer and other health problems, to toxic substances list The federal government is moving to add PFAS, a class of thousands of chemicals used in a wide range of products from food containers to clothing, to the official list of toxic substances, in light of growing scientific and public concern about the substances in Canada and around the world. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are man-made chemicals used for their water and heat resistant properties. They are widely used in many everyday products — such as packaging, cosmetics and textiles — along with industrial uses like water-repellent coatings and firefighting foam. "What we're doing is unprecedented, that we would use the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to not look at one substance... but to look at the entire family [of chemicals]. It's never been done before," said Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault in Montreal. Often referred to as "forever chemicals," PFAS have also increasingly been linked to human health problems, such as increasing cancer risk and causing reproductive issues. The same qualities that make them useful also make them very persistent in the environment, accumulating in water sources, animals and eventually human bodies. The announcement will not immediately ban any new PFAS, but it will start a process to restrict them in the future. The government has started a 60-day consultation period required before adding PFAS to the toxic substances list. Read more Marketplace has tested makeup products and clothing for PFAS, and found chemicals in both. You can watch those investigations and more anytime on CBC Gem and YouTube. Trudeau has announced $37B in child-care deals with 11 provinces and territories Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has signed agreements totalling almost $37 billion over five years with 11 provinces and territories that will extend the federal child care space program until 2031. With just days to go before he leaves office, Trudeau said Thursday that these deals will ensure the long-term viability of one of his government's flagship policies. Becoming visibly emotional as he reflected on his legacy, Trudeau said that he has worked every day to ensure he is putting Canadians first and child care has been one of the ways he has done that. "I am here to tell you all that: we got you," Trudeau said. "Even in the very last days of this government, we will not let Canadians down today and long into the future." "In the past few weeks, we have been working with our provincial and territorial partners to make sure that families can rely on this system, not just for years to come, but will allow this to lock in, to become something that no government, a year from now, five years from now, 20 years from now, could ever go back on," the prime minister said in Ottawa on Thursday. Trudeau said that while any government can undo the work of a previous government, Canadians can ensure child care survives if they are "very clear on the need to keep this going." Ottawa has not managed to reach an agreement with Alberta and Saskatchewan. CBC is not aware of what these Western provinces were offered. What else is going on? Marketplace needs your help!
