DGB 4: Technical Settings and Informational Self-Determination

← Digital Literacy – Year 4

Informational self-determination means being able to make informed choices about personal data and digital participation. This is not achieved by legal knowledge alone: defaults, permissions, personalisation, account security and interface design strongly influence what is shared and how easy it is to choose alternatives.

Curriculum reference

Area	Classification
Competence area	Action
Perspectives	T, G, I
Focus	Technical configurations and informational self-determination
Competence	Recognise that defaults shape behaviour, adjust privacy and security settings deliberately, and explain how technical choices affect control over personal data.

Learning objectives

Students can:

explain why technical defaults are not neutral;
review privacy settings in social networks and other services;
check app and device permissions;
explain how personalisation and filtering influence the user experience;
name privacy-friendly tools and alternatives;
recognise that screenshots and forwarding can extend digital footprints;
use updates, strong passwords and two-factor authentication as protective measures;
explain how open-source software can support transparency without automatically guaranteeing security;
recognise nudges and interface designs that steer decisions;
adjust a test system to a more privacy-conscious configuration;
compare convenience, functionality and privacy trade-offs;
develop a practical personal protection plan.

Learning content

Defaults are not neutral

Default settings determine what happens when users do nothing. Providers may optimise them for convenience, engagement, data collection or support cost. Users should therefore review important defaults rather than assuming they match personal priorities.

Privacy settings

Visibility of profiles, posts, contact details and activity can often be limited. Settings should match the intended audience and be reviewed when services change.

Permissions and device access

Camera, microphone, location, contacts, files and notifications should only be granted when needed for the desired function. A permission can often be revoked later.

Algorithms, personalisation and filtering

Recommendation and personalisation settings can influence what content is shown and what data is used. More personalisation may bring convenience while also increasing profiling.

Privacy-friendly tools and alternatives

Alternative browsers, search services, messaging systems or local/offline tools may offer different privacy trade-offs. Selection should consider purpose, security, usability and trust.

Digital footprints and public spaces

A private-looking conversation can become public through screenshots or forwarding. Public posting should therefore be approached as potentially persistent and widely reproducible.

Updates, passwords and two-factor protection

Keeping software current, using unique passwords and enabling two-factor authentication where appropriate reduces several common security risks.

Open source, transparency and control

Open source makes source code available for inspection and modification, which can support auditability and independence. It is not an automatic guarantee of privacy or security; maintenance and configuration still matter.

Ethical and social dimensions

Individual settings cannot solve every privacy problem. Platform design, business models, school policies, regulation and social norms all influence how much meaningful control users have.

Nudges and conscious choice

Buttons, colours, defaults and repeated prompts can make one choice easier than another. Recognising these nudges allows users to pause and decide according to their own priorities.

Classroom activities

Expose defaults

Compare default settings with a more privacy-conscious configuration.

Expected outcome: A before-and-after table.

My device, my permissions

Review a safe test device or prepared screenshot set and justify which permissions are necessary.

Expected outcome: A permission audit.

Two feeds, two realities

Compare personalised feed examples and identify how settings or past behaviour could influence them.

Expected outcome: A feed comparison.

Public or protected

Place information types on a visibility scale and choose suitable controls.

Expected outcome: A protection map.

Reconfigure for privacy

Change tracking, location, autoplay, synchronisation or account protection in a test profile.

Expected outcome: A change log.

What is steering me?

Analyse cookie banners, sign-up screens or recommendation pages for nudging design.

Expected outcome: An interface analysis.

Solve a technical problem systematically

Use a documented sequence rather than random changes when a setting does not work.

Expected outcome: A troubleshooting log.

Compare self-determination

Compare two services by settings, data minimisation, portability and transparency.

Expected outcome: A criteria-based comparison.

Create a personal protection plan

Combine privacy settings, account security, backups and sharing rules.

Expected outcome: A practical plan.

Debate freedom and convenience

Discuss which conveniences are worth additional data use and under what conditions.

Expected outcome: A reasoned debate.

Screenshot check

Review prepared interface screenshots and identify data-relevant choices.

Expected outcome: An annotated screenshot sheet.

Review your use

Reflect on one setting or habit you would deliberately change and why.

Expected outcome: A personal action note.

Self-check

I know that defaults can steer behaviour.
I can review permissions and privacy settings.
I can recognise personalisation and interface nudges.
I use strong account protection and updates.
I can compare privacy with convenience without assuming one solution fits everyone.
I can create a realistic protection plan.