{"id":8068,"date":"2026-06-03T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.eset.ee\/et\/2026\/06\/03\/lessons-for-life-why-childrens-data-is-a-long-term-identity-risk\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T09:00:00","slug":"lessons-for-life-why-childrens-data-is-a-long-term-identity-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.eset.ee\/et\/en\/2026\/06\/03\/lessons-for-life-why-childrens-data-is-a-long-term-identity-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons for life: Why children\u2019s data is a long-term identity risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

When we talk about cybersecurity and digital safety in the context of our children, it\u2019s often framed in one of two ways. Either it\u2019s about inappropriate or unsafe content \u2013 of the sort that COPPA<\/a> is meant to regulate in the US. Or it\u2019s about managing the psychological and social impacts of excessive screen time. But there\u2019s an elephant in the room.<\/p>\n

Our kids are exposed to many of the same identity, privacy, and data security risks as their parents. In fact they may be even more at risk. Helping them understand how to protect their data and online accounts at an early age is an increasingly important parental responsibility. <\/p>\n

Why do people want my kids\u2019 data?<\/h2>\n

Our children are digital natives. From an early age they might have logins to school accounts, gaming profiles<\/a>, cloud photos, health records, and accounts with a variety of other apps. All of these contain potentially lucrative data for identity thieves<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Why is this information a popular target? Because from a fraud perspective it has a relatively long shelf life. That means, if it\u2019s stolen and used by a scammer to open a new line of credit, it\u2019s unlikely the victim would find out, until perhaps they apply for their first loan many years later. What\u2019s more, it will have a pristine credit score, meaning the fraudulent application will likely sail through unchecked. Fraudsters might use it as is, or combine it with made-up information to create synthetic identities.<\/p>\n

The emergence of AI tools<\/a> has made it far easier to spin up these fake identities. They might be harder for companies to spot. But when they do finally flag fraud, the impact on your child\u2019s credit history can be severe.<\/p>\n

These are not theoretical risks. One report reveals the<\/a> story of risk and compliance professional Renata Galv\u00e3o, whose identity was stolen at the age of six and used to run up debt in excess of $400,000. It reportedly took her over two decades to clear her name and restore her credit rating. In another case, Axton Betz-Hamilton was 11<\/a> when her identity was stolen and used to rack up thousands of dollars in unpaid credit card bills. She only found out when applying to set up her first utility bill at college.<\/p>\n

Current data is hard to come by, but the FTC claims<\/a> that child identity theft increased by 40% between 2021 and 2024.<\/p>\n

What could go wrong?<\/h2>\n

Children\u2019s data is at risk in other ways. Kids might be digitally savvy enough to set up online accounts, but they\u2019re not always security-smart. They may be more prone to fall for a phishing message; especially if it appears to be sent from a trusted authority or friend<\/a>. Too-good-to-be-true offers, innocuous-looking quizzes and FOMO-type ads are all more likely to hit home if the target is a credulous 13-year-old rather than a skeptical adult. Kids are also more likely to unwittingly download malware onto their devices or share their passwords and personal info with their peers, compounding security risk.<\/p>\n

\"roblox-hacked-accounts\"
Roblox gamers sharing their experiences after downloading fake versions of Solara. Source: YouTube<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But it\u2019s not just our children who represent a potential weak link in the security chain. Research from the University of Southampton<\/a> last year found that nearly half (45%) of parents regularly share information about their children online. Sharenting like this increases the risk of it falling into the hands of fraudsters. Around one-in-six children have already experienced at least one form of digital harm, including cyberbullying<\/a>, privacy breaches, or identity misuse, the study claimed.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a growing risk that the edtech vendors, school platforms, gaming providers, smart toy makers, social media companies and other firms entrusted with your child\u2019s data are themselves breached. The non-profit Identity Theft Resource Center<\/a> (ITRC) tracked 3322 data breaches in the US last year \u2013 an all-time high and a 79% increase from five years ago. Nearly 279 million victims had their data exposed, with the healthcare and education sectors among the top five for breaches.<\/p>\n

The proliferation of AI apps is also a privacy risk. Kids may use AI tools with no understanding that they\u2019re actually sharing sensitive information which could end up in the wrong hands if the provider is breached.<\/p>\n

Gaming accounts are another attractive target for fraudsters. They contain highly prized assets such as:<\/p>\n