ICT @ HT
How can I protect my child’s privacy when they are online?
Source from: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/privacy-child
Kids and teenagers 5-17
Advise them not to share personal information unnecessarily
Explain why they should avoid putting personal information on their social media profiles. This includes their phone number, date of birth, personal email address, passwords, home address, the name or address of their school, and photos of identifying landmarks.
Help them understand that when online games, competitions, prizes and rewards require users to register and provide personal information like email address, interests, age and gender, this information is often used by marketers to promote products and services.
Make sure your child is aware of the advice about protecting personal information for kids and young people.
Encourage good password habits
Remind them to select passwords carefully and not to share these with friends.
Strong passwords are truly random and they are long. Avoid using words and numbers that could be easily associated with them (like a pet’s name or a birth date). Longer passwords are harder to crack, so help them choose a random combination of numbers, letters and punctuation, and consider using a password manager. For more information see protect your personal information, which includes tips on how to set strong passwords.
Ensure your child’s mobile devices have pin locks or passcodes, so their personal information is safer if they lose their device.
Remind them about their digital reputation
Like everyone who uses the internet, over time your child is building a digital or online reputation based on all the things they say and do online. Help them understand that this digital footprint can last forever.
Remind them to take care of their digital reputation as well as the reputations of others. They should not post images of others without their permission and should take care when making comments about others.
Make sure your child is aware of the advice about digital reputation for young people.
Encourage them to think before they post or share
Even if their profile is set to private, they cannot control what their friends will do with the information that they post online or share via text or SMS. Ask how they would feel if their photo or information was shared with strangers.
Talk to your child about the consequences of posting offensive or inappropriate material of themselves or others online. Explain that it may affect their social life, academic results or job prospects. There may also be legal effects. Ask them, how they would feel if they could not get a job they really wanted because of something they posted online? For more information on how to start the chat, see the hard to have conversations.
Make sure your child is aware of the advice about consent and sharing photos for kids and young people.
Be aware of online advertising
Companies can build a profile of your child by compiling data of their online behaviour. You can control cookies and use add-ons and adblockers to help manage the amount of information companies can collect.
Regards,
Rebecca Casey- ICT Coordinator