Concerns around privacy are increasingly important for parents as they navigate the challenges of raising children in a digital world. While ensuring their children's safety remains a top priority, both online and offline, the rise of technology has introduced new dilemmas, particularly regarding the use of tools that track a child's movements.

Though technology and social media have made parenting more difficult in many ways, they have also offered solutions, such as GPS trackers, which allow parents to monitor their children's whereabouts. This has sparked ongoing debate about privacy and whether such monitoring is an overreach into a child's personal autonomy.

NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Lydia Shelly said GPS tracking raised serious concerns about privacy and the autonomy of children.

"NSWCCL strongly believes that children, like adults, have a fundamental right to privacy, and tracking their movements, particularly without their knowledge or consent, infringes on that right," 

"GPS tracking may be justified for very young children where genuine safety concerns exist, such as for children who may get lost or be vulnerable in public spaces," she said.

"By adolescence, children should have the right to make decisions about their personal privacy, and the use of tracking devices should require their clear and informed consent," Shelly said.

"It is important to distinguish between safeguarding young children and surveilling teenagers. For instance, the idea that a 16-year-old, who can legally consent to sexual activity, could be monitored by parents using GPS or phone tracking apps without consent, infringes on their privacy and independence."

"This kind of surveillance risks damaging the trust between parents and children and may even lead to legal and ethical concerns."

Shelly said apps that track phone activity "also expose children's private lives in an intrusive way.".

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