Safety and Security Online: Private Information

Identify private information Recall that private information should not be given out in cyberspace without permission of a parent or teacher

 You are in an online chat room for kids. You enjoy chatting with KrazyKat10, but you have never met face to face. You tell KrazyKat that you play soccer, and you have a game on Saturday. KrazyKat10 asks you some questions about your team, when and where your game is going to be on Saturday, and asks you to post a photo of yourself in your soccer team’s jersey online. What should you do?

 Tell KrazyKat10 that your game is at one of the local soccer fields, and that you don’t have a digital photo of yourself in your soccer jersey.  Give KrazyKat10 the information about your game’s time and place, but send KrazyKat your picture as an instead of posting it online.

 Yes, it’s a good idea to play it safe! After all, you have never met KrazyKat10, and you know that it is possible for someone in a chat room to lie about who they are.

 No! Sending a picture of yourself instead of posting it online is a good idea, but only IF you know the person you are sending it to personally; if not, it is NEVER a good idea to provide a photo that can be used by someone you have never met face to face to identify you.

 You’ve heard about a website, my.kidscom.com, from your friends. You ask your parents if you can check out the site, and they say yes. When you type in the url, the home page comes up and right away there is a question for you to answer: Are you a boy or a girl? What do you do?

 Since you haven’t given any other information, there is no way to identify you from just saying whether you are a boy or a girl, so you answer the question; you note that you will NOT give out any other information that might personally identify you.  The question makes you feel uncomfortable, so you ask your parents if they will stay with you while you log on to this website for the first time.

 That’s right! The question is probably to find out who uses the site more, boys or girls. You haven’t told anything else about yourself, so it’s okay to answer the question. But remember NOT to give any information that will enable someone to personally identify you.

 Great idea! Any time something on the Internet makes you feel uncomfortable, you should consult one of your parents or a trusted teacher to help you make a judgement call.

 Next you are asked to choose a name to be your “secret identity,” create a password, and then input your country, your age, and your birthday (month and day).

 Selecting the secret identity sounds okay, but you have promised that any time you are asked to input private information on the Internet, you will ask permission. You ask your parents for permission before proceeding.  You call your friend that told you about the website, and ask them what you should do.

 Good thinking! As long as you are certain that you are not giving out your personal information, you can continue. If you are uncertain, talk with a parent or a teacher.

 No! Since you know that your age and birthday are private information, you really should discuss this with your parents or a trusted teacher.

You’re doing a good job of protecting your private information!