Apps make life easier, provide entertainment, and education, help to sustain social contacts and keep up to date with the latest information. Who doesn't know them and who doesn't use them? However, there are consequences of installing mobile applications, that many people, especially children are not aware of.


The report "Mobile applications - are our children safe?" was prepared by NASK experts with parents and guardians in mind, but applies to everyone who wants to use digital tools consciously. Research carried out by NASK shows that the pandemic has significantly transferred the lives of young people online - remote lessons, virtual friendships, and online entertainment. Children and adolescents use their smartphones for a noteworthy part of these activities. They also have access to the most popular applications, e.g. social media or popular games.

The youngest children often access applications through their parents' smartphones, who are often not aware of the potential consequences of installing an app. Many applications allow access to the microphone, camera, contacts or location of the smartphone user, which can be worrying at the installation level. These aspects, among others, were highlighted by the authors of their Report in their analysis.

Takeaways from the report

1. Caregivers need to pay special attention to the recommendations of whether or not a given application is appropriately adapted to the age of their kids
2. General potential threats and safety rules need to be disclosed to all users of mobile applications.

Moreover, NASK experts prepared recommendations for application developers. They indicate what to pay special attention to, adjusting the application to the age of its users, and how they should alert you if the application is not intended for users under a certain age.


Responsibly accompanying children in their journey through the digital world and the increasing amount of children using digital tools independently is a growing challenge. Tackling this challenge means equipping the users of new technologies and digital tools with the appropriate knowledge of how to securely navigate through their applications.

Read the full research report here.