Passwords, by definition, are secrets. We use them to identify ourselves to systems and gain authorized access to places that other people are denied access to.
Up to 74 per cent of parents control their children’s passwords. In other words, parents exercise more than just the right to inspect the child’s assets: they reserve the right to impersonate their child.
By taking control over the key elements of children’s identity at a formative time in their development, adults run the risk of impacting the fragile mechanisms their children need to begin understanding abstract concepts such as the right to privacy.
When account access is shared, so is accountability. When schools set up student accounts, they use tools like Google’s G Suite, Classroom and Microsoft Active Directory that enable them to control dangerously large numbers of identities. In the event of data breaches, it may come as a surprise to administrators to discover that accountability practically always falls onto school boards and districts.
