Red Robot in Children’s Book Teaches Kids About Digital Privacy

A South African digital rights activist has published a children’s book with a unique storyline that is meant to open children’s eyes to online privacy in today’s digital age.

Africa, who has the world’s fastest growing use of internet, provides little protection to users – with many Africans unable to do much when faced with a data breach because of a lack of regulation.

The illustrated book, Boris the BabyBot, is about a red robot who scans babies’ smiles and fingerprints while noting their likes and actions which adults in white coats and clipboards monitor.

“It is not meant to teach a particular lesson to children about data collection, but rather start the conversation rooted in joy, play and delight, rather than a sense of dread,” says author Murray Hunter, who considers the children’s book to be the first of its kind about secret corporate surveillance. “This book creates a visual and narrative point of reference to help a child imagine what data collection looks like.”