Theoretically it seems like the best way of ensuring our children's safety, but the practical implications are borderless. Social media and networking sites (Mxit, Facebook, MySpace etc.) would argue that parental control over teenagers might be futile and that children would loose their voice and access to information.
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the US requires parental consent for children under the age of 13.
Several arguments have been lodged at the Parliament's Technical Working Committee on POPI for a similar stance.
A practical solution would be to treat children's (aged 13 or under) personal information, , the same as other person's personal information, with the exception of the Regulator issuing stricter security safeguards, and imposing bigger penalties.
Precedents in Europe could send a strong message to future regulation in SA.
Read what happened to a Scottish Council - click here for full story.