The Better Business Beareau shared some tips below on how to better protect your family online.
Know about Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU). CARU’s self-regulatory program provides detailed guidance to children’s advertisers on how to deal sensitively and honestly with children’s issues. These guidelines include, but go beyond, the issues of truthfulness and accuracy to consider the uniquely impressionable and vulnerable child audience.
Know about COPPA. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act protects personal information of children under the age of 13 on websites and online services—including apps. COPPA requires those sites and services to notify parents and get their approval before they collect, use or disclose a child’s personal information. However, if your nine-year old tells Instagram they are 13 (the age requirement to use the app), he or she won’t be protected by this law.
Know about FOSI. The Family Online Safety Institute brings an international perspective to the potential risks, and harms as well as the rewards of our online lives. The Good Digital Parenting web portal is a great resource for families looking to educate online safety measures in the Internet age.
Read privacy policies together and understand privacy settings. Parents can have their children read the privacy policies and terms of use of any apps they want to use. There might be a little grumbling that the policies “are too long” or that “it takes too much time,” remind them of the importance of knowing what they are signing up for and insist that they are read. Then, take time to learn and understand the privacy settings on each of the apps and games. Less is more when it comes to sharing information.
Don’t share your location. Nearly every app automatically tracks a user’s location. From placing an online order for groceries or fast food to playing an online game, review the apps on all of your devices to see which ones are tracking your location. Then, if it’s not needed, look in the settings to see how to disable this feature. Advise a friend or family member to avoid geo-tagging their posts with their location. Why? For example, you don’t want to announce the fact your family is vacationing out of state while the house sits empty. A simple review of the geo-tagged post will reveal where you really are.
Use parental controls if necessary. Although the best way to keep a child’s online privacy safe is to teach them to manage it themselves, it doesn’t hurt to have their backs by using parental controls. Today Android, iOS, and most web browsers offer built-in features that allow parents to monitor their children’s online activities, but third-party apps are available as well. Research the option that works best. Follow through with the child the reasons why you’re monitoring their activities.
Share with care and remember, personal information is like money. What is posted online can last a lifetime: parents can teach children that any information they share online can easily be copied and is almost impossible to take back. Talk to them about who might see a post and how it might be perceived in the future, and show them how anything they do online can positively, or negatively, can impact other people. Sharing personal information can also give online thieves an idea of what login information or passwords might be used for banking accounts or other online accounts.
Read more on keeping children safe online.
