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Protect your child’s online privacy

Children, these days, live in a culture of sharing that has changed the concept of privacy. In a world where everyone is connected and anything created can get copied, pasted, and sent to thousands of people in a heartbeat, privacy starts to mean something different from simply guarding personal or private information. Digital life is public and permanent. Everything kids do online creates digital footprints that wander and persist. Something that happens on the spur of the moment — a funny picture, a certain post — can resurface years later. And if children aren’t careful, their reputations can get away from them. Following are some tips that parents can keep in mind:

Explain them that nothing is really private: No matter what children think, privacy settings aren’t infallible. It’s up to children to protect themselves by thinking twice before they post something that can damage their reputation or hurt them.

Teach children to keep personal information private: Help kids define what information they should keep private when they’re online. We recommend that children not share their addresses, phone numbers, or birth dates.

Make sure they use privacy settings on their social network pages: Encourage children to think about their relationships (close friends, family, acquaintances, strangers) and adjust their privacy settings accordingly.

Remind kids to protect their friends’ privacy: Passing along a rumour or identifying someone in a picture (called "tagging") affects someone’s privacy. If your kids are tagged in friends’ photos, they can ask to have the photos or the tags removed.

Establish hard-and-fast rules about posting: No nude or semi-nude photos or videos ever. Not online, not via cell phone (known as "sexting"). No pictures of doing drugs, drinking, or having sex.

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