Children today inherit a digital life long before they understand what that even means.
From school apps and messaging platforms to gaming accounts and social media, their online identities take shape early, often before kids are old enough to understand the long-term privacy implications. That reality has left many parents uneasy about how much personal data their young ones are generating for advertisers and data brokers, and who ultimately controls it.
A new Proton survey shows online privacy anxiety is no longer a fringe concern among parents, but the norm.
What the survey tells us
We found that 78% of US parents are concerned about their child’s online privacy, including 56% who say they are very concerned. Nearly six in 10 parents worry their child’s identity could be stolen before adulthood, with 58% specifically fearing identity theft before age 18.
Parents also worry about the long-term consequences of digital footprints created early in life — the trail of posts, comments, shared photos that can follow someone for years. Many say information about their child online could affect their:
- Personal safety (70%)
- Future employment opportunities (55%)
- Education prospects (56%)
- Reputation (59%)
The internet remembers far longer than childhood lasts, and parents are becoming more aware of it. One-third say they discovered in the past year that apps such as TikTok(nytt fönster) were collecting more data about their children than they expected. This can include usage patterns on websites, location data on social media or games, or seemingly unrelated data points that may not identify a child on their own but can be combined with other information to build a detailed profile.
Beyond social media, 65% of parents said they are worried that educational platforms — including school email systems, classroom apps, and parent-teacher messaging tools — may collect more data about their child than necessary.
The survey data that follows shows why these concerns are growing.
Children’s digital identities often begin earlier than expected
Today, 76% of children already own their own tablet or smartphone, and age 10 represents the single biggest jump in first device ownership. Once a child receives their first device, accounts follow quickly: 44% of children already have their own email address, and 42% have created a social media account.
Among children who use social media, our survey found:
For many, a digital footprint begins years before high school.
For most children, their online identity starts with Big Tech
Email often becomes the foundation of a person’s digital identity. It’s how accounts are created, services are accessed, and passwords are recovered.
Survey data suggests many children begin that identity in the same place: Among those with an email address, 76% use Gmail. It means that many children’s digital identities begin inside platforms built around advertising and large-scale data collection.
Early digital footprints often begin with family posts
Half of parents (50%) say they occasionally share photos of their child online, and 11% say they share regularly.
Sharing milestones with family and friends has become a normal part of parenting in the social media era. But many parents later rethink those decisions. Our data shows that 41% say they would share less about their child online if they could start over.
That sentiment becomes clearer when parents imagine resetting their child’s digital footprint: 62% say they would erase all online information about their child and start fresh if they could.
It’s important to recognize that these decisions take place inside platforms designed to encourage sharing, with default settings that favor the advertising business models of Big Tech companies rather than the user’s privacy — even when children are involved.
Parents are open to tools that protect children’s identities
When asked about privacy-focused tools designed to protect children’s online identities, 66% of parents believe an encrypted inbox could help protect their child’s identity, and 56% would recommend this option to other parents.
These responses suggest many families are actively looking for ways to give their children a more private start online.
Give your child a private start online
The internet will always be part of childhood. Devices, apps, and online services are now deeply embedded in education, friendships, and entertainment. The question many parents are now asking is whether their children should have more control over how their digital identity begins.
For many families, the goal is simple: when kids eventually step the digital world, the first decisions about their identity should be their own. Born Private reflects that belief: Privacy shouldn’t be something children lose as soon as they go online, but something they start with.
You can reserve a private email address for your child today starting at $1. We’ll hold it for up to 15 years, giving you time to have that first big conversation about online privacy and decide together when the moment feels right to activate it.
When that day comes, the account will be hosted by Proton Mail with the same protections trusted by millions of people worldwide: no ads, no tracking, no data collection, and zero-access encryption that keeps messages private between senders and recipients.
Because that first step online shouldn’t mean giving up the privacy we’re all born with.
Don’t have a Proton Mail account yet? Create one for free to get started.
