Abstract: 【Purpose/significance】With the advancement of big data and artificial intelligence technologies, safeguarding the privacy of elderly individuals has become a critical issue in both theoretical and practical domains. This study aims to construct a privacy pro⁃ tection mechanism tailored to smart elderly care systems, offering theoretical foundations and practical guidance for the enhancement of such services.【Method/process】Employing grounded theory methodology, the research conducted semi-structured interviews and utilized NVivo 12 software for coding.【Result/conclusion】There are several key challenges in current privacy protection practices: limited compatibility of technological systems, lack of targeted privacy policies, weak privacy awareness among the elderly, high eco⁃ nomic costs, and insufficient data transparency. To address these issues, the study proposes a privacy protection mechanism based on age-friendly design principles. Key strategies include simplifying technological interfaces, enhancing privacy policies and legal frame⁃ works for elderly users, developing educational programs on privacy awareness, optimizing transparent data governance mechanisms, and reducing service costs through policy subsidies and resource integration.【Innovation/limitation】This research highlights critical challenges and strategic pathways for privacy protection in smart elderly care, emphasizing the need for coordinated advancements in technology, law, and education. While the study contributes valuable theoretical insights to improving service quality, further explora⁃ tion is needed concerning the development of global privacy standards and their cross-national applicability.