Cyber Chronix, a new game from the JRC to better understand the GDPR

Friday, 25 May 2018 marked a turning point in Europe in terms of data protection thanks to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) which came into force precisely one week ago. The GDPR, however, is a very complex set of regulations leaving many a company and professional confused. When it comes to children and youth in particular, it is even more important that they know their rights under the new legislation, in order to be in control of their personal data.

Date 2018-06-01 Author BIK Team
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For this very reason, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission has created a new game called "Cyber Chronix" designed to explain the GDPR to young people and teenagers and to introduce them to the new era of European data protection. The game was launched on 25 May, during an event organised by the JRC, where ten Italian schools sent four representatives (a girl, a boy, a teacher and a parent) to be the first to play the game.

According to the blog entry on the JRC website, Cyber Chronix is an online game in which "players are taken to a futuristic planet several light years from Earth. The aim is to help their character to make it to a party, while they encounter several data protection-related obstacles along the way. As players progress through the game, they have to make several choices that will affect the storyline and eventual outcome."

Therefore, the game manages to tackle very serious issues such as personal data, the right to be forgotten, breaches in personal data, and informed consent in a fun and playful manner, from which kids and teenagers, but also their parents and teachers, can benefit, leaving them more informed and in control of their own data. 

The launch event consisted of a presentation of the game as well as a live competition, in which the winners finished the challenge in just 30 minutes. One of the participants, an Italian teacher, declared that it "is a wonderful tool for [...] teachers when tackling the topic of the GDRP, personal data and privacy protection. Typically, students lose interest in such topics after 45 seconds, whereas with Cyber Chronix, they kept playing - and therefore learning - for 45 minutes!". 

The game is currently available in English, French and Italian and is only available on Android devices (iOS version under development). 

You can download the game on Google Play.

For more information, visit the EU Science Hub (JRC) website or read about the launch in Italian.

This article was written and published here with the JRC's permission.

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