# "Money makes the world go around'': Identifying Barriers to Better Privacy in Children's Apps From Developers' Perspectives

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.14596 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2111.14596/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 29 Nov 2021.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Evaluating Privacy Questions From Stack Overflow: Can ChatGPT Compete?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.11174/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The industry for children's apps is thriving at the cost of children's privacy: these apps routinely disclose children's data to multiple data trackers and ad networks. As children spend increasing time online, such exposure accumulates to long-term privacy risks. In this paper, we used a mixed-methods approach to investigate why this is happening and how developers might change their practices. We base our analysis against 5 leading data protection frameworks that set out requirements and recommendations for data collection in children's apps. To understand developers' perspectives and constraints, we conducted 134 surveys and 20 semi-structured interviews with popular Android children's app developers. Our analysis revealed that developers largely respect children's best interests; however, they have to make compromises due to limited monetisation options, perceived harmlessness of certain third-party libraries, and lack of availability of design guidelines. We identified concrete approaches and directions for future research to help overcome these barriers.