The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, as the Information Commissioner, will be taking part in the annual Global Privacy Enforcement Network Sweep (GPEN Sweep) alongside more than thirty data protection and privacy authorities from around the world.  

A statement from the GRA follows below:

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, the United Kingdom Information  Commissioner’s Office, and the Office of the Data Protection Authority of Guernsey are  coordinating this year’s sweep, which will take place this week, from 3-7 November 2025.  

Authorities will examine whether websites and mobile applications that are known to be  used by children or cater to them and collect children’s data, are transparent about their  privacy practices, have age assurance mechanisms in place, and employ privacy  protective controls to limit the collection of children’s personal information. 

The theme of this year’s GPEN Sweep recognises that today’s digital space is a significant  part of children’s lives, offering opportunities for self-expression, learning, socialising, and  connecting with their community. Online services that do not consider the best interests  of children can leave young people vulnerable to risks such as online tracking, profiling,  targeting, and exposure to inappropriate or harmful content. 

The GPEN connects privacy enforcement authorities to promote and support cooperation  in cross-border enforcement of laws protecting privacy. It has conducted international  privacy sweeps on various themes since 2013. The initiative aims to increase awareness  of privacy rights and responsibilities, encourage compliance with privacy legislation,  identify concerns that may be addressed through targeted education or enforcement,  and enhance cooperation between global data protection and privacy authorities. 

The GPEN Sweep will mark the 10-year anniversary of a similar children’s privacy sweep  conducted in 2015, allowing authorities to compare results. The GPEN Sweep results will  be compiled and published in a report in the coming months.