The stereotype goes that youth don’t care about their privacy when it comes to sharing content and personal data online. But recent conversations with youth about their attitudes on data privacy, specifically when it comes to terms and conditions for apps and platforms, show that young Canadians are concerned about what they’re actually consenting to when they click “I Agree.”

The youth we spoke to during focus groups want more information, more control, and more transparency from online platforms. They also have a desire to actively participate in the re-imagining and re-designing of the processes behind the data collection that will affect their lives.

As part of the focus groups, the youth (ages 13 to 16) were asked to share their thoughts on and experiences with current online consent processes. They were then asked to come up with hand-drawn ‘paper prototypes’ of their ideal service policies.

The results offered creative new ideas on how platforms can improve online consent processes – not just for young people, but for all of us – so we can better understand what we’re agreeing to when it comes to our privacy.