ABSTRACT Widespread concerns around the privacy impact of online technologies have corresponded with the rise of fly-on-the-wall television documentaries and public-by-default social media forums allowing parallel commentary. Although information about children has traditionally been regarded by society, law and regulation as deserving of particular protection, popular documentaries such as Channel 4′s ‘The Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 year olds’ raise questions as to whether such protections are being deliberately or inadvertently eroded in this technological ‘always-on’ online age. The article first describes the documentary series and the results of an analysis of related Twitter interaction. It considers responses to freedom of information requests sent to the public bodies involved in the series with the aim of establishing the ethical considerations given to the involvement of the children. The paper goes on to explore the privacy law context; the wider child law issues, the position of parents/carers and the impact of broadcast codes. It considers if lessons can be learned from how decisions in the medical context have dealt with issues of best interests in decision-making and in disclosure of information concerning the child. The paper concludes that additional legal and ethical safeguards are needed to ensure that the best interests of children are properly considered when images and information are exposed on broadcast and social media.

中文翻译：

---

五岁儿童的秘密生活：与广播和社交媒体上的信息披露和儿童描绘有关的法律和道德问题

摘要关于在线技术对隐私的影响的广泛关注与壁挂式电视纪录片和允许平行评论的默认公共社交媒体论坛的兴起相对应。尽管传统上社会，法律和法规一直将有关儿童的信息视为值得特别保护的内容，但颇受欢迎的纪录片（例如第4频道的“ 4、5和6岁儿童的秘密生活”）提出了这样的问题：在这个技术“永远在线”的网络时代中，有意或无意地侵蚀了它。本文首先介绍了纪录片系列以及相关Twitter交互分析的结果。它考虑了对发送给参与该系列活动的公共机构的信息自由请求的回应，目的是确定对儿童参与的道德考虑。本文继续探讨了隐私法的背景。更广泛的儿童法律问题，父母/照料者的地位以及广播法规的影响。它考虑是否可以从医学背景中的决策如何处理决策和披露有关儿童的信息中最大利益的问题中吸取教训。本文的结论是，在广播和社交媒体上公开图像和信息时，还需要采取其他法律和道德保障措施，以确保适当考虑儿童的最大利益。本文继续探讨了隐私法的背景。更广泛的儿童法律问题，父母/照料者的地位以及广播法规的影响。它考虑是否可以从医学背景中的决策如何处理决策和披露有关儿童的信息中最大利益的问题中吸取教训。本文的结论是，在广播和社交媒体上公开图像和信息时，还需要采取其他法律和道德保障措施，以确保适当考虑儿童的最大利益。本文继续探讨了隐私法的背景。更广泛的儿童法律问题，父母/照料者的地位以及广播法规的影响。它考虑是否可以从医学背景中的决策如何处理决策和披露有关儿童的信息中最大利益的问题中吸取教训。本文的结论是，在广播和社交媒体上公开图像和信息时，还需要采取其他法律和道德保障措施，以确保适当考虑儿童的最大利益。