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Taking a Look At Internet Privacy for Children
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When the Internet boom began to take off in the late 1990’s, most people were thinking of the Information Superhighway as a tool for adults. Over time, a large network of websites dedicated to children emerged, however, many of these sites still require the same kind of input that adult sites require. Internet privacy for children has been a hot topic in recent years thanks to an increased number of kidnappings, identity theft cases and other invasions that have gotten everyone’s attention. Here are a few common sense safety tips every parent can employ to maximize their child’s privacy online.
Many of the top internet sites for children today require you to sign up and register to use their site. This is a way to keep track of users and ensure that people are held accountable for their actions, but far too often, these sites allow children themselves to sign up in lieu of adults. You should never let your child sign up for any website, including ones aimed directly at young children. If registration is required, simply register in their place. Don’t use their real name or birth date for any website. Even fibbing to register on a website is a better choice than voluntary giving up private and personal information about your child. As a parent, you are the one and only keeper of Internet privacy for children in your home, and are therefore responsible for your child's internet protection.
If you have a teen in your home, and they are old enough to sign up for sites like MySpace or Facebook, make sure that they only fill out the parts of the registration form that are absolutely necessary and that they never, ever post any personal information about themselves for the public to see, including their birth date, full name, address, the school they attend or any other similar information. You can even limit the number of pictures they are allowed to upload, and make sure that relatives who may also have pictures of them know not to ever upload any. Just because a website allows for your 14 year old daughter to post pictures of herself online doesn’t mean she should. Internet privacy for children and good judgement go hand in hand.
If your child is old enough to have their own email account or login name and password to other sites, make sure they understand the importance of knowing their login and password and how important it is that they never tell anyone what that information is. Make certain they realize that they aren’t allowed to change their passwords from the ones you agreed upon with them and if they do, they will lose access to that account. As important as the parent’s roll is in Internet privacy for children, your child plays a vital part, too.
Finally, ensure your child is properly educated when it comes to identifying suspicious behaviour online. If your teen is old enough to have a Facebook account, make sure they know who to tell if someone tries to get them to give up personal information online or if someone makes them feel uncomfortable. It is only with clear and open communication that online predators can be stopped and Internet privacy for children increased.
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