Consumer Advocate: BBB Advice – Back-to-School Internet Safety

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Rick Walz
| Guest columnist

Buying new supplies and clothes isn’t enough for your kids’ back-to-school plans. You also need to think about how to help them stay safe online and avoid being easy targets for online scammers.

Parents: Be careful

Creating accounts on websites without permission: Social media sites are full of strangers whose intentions may be very different from yours. Many sites are designed to collect and sell unauthorized user information and behavior to advertisers looking for targeted marketing. When creating an account, some children may create a false birth date to meet the minimum age requirement. Know what your child is doing online and keep track of the sites and social media accounts they have access to.

Contests and Giveaways:Contests and sweepstakes often collect a significant amount of personal information on their entry forms. Many of these are thinly disguised ways to collect personal or financial information that could lead to identity theft. Make sure your child does not have access to banking or credit card information and supervise the filling out of forms.

Phishing:Adults aren’t the only ones who get spam and junk emails. Kids often get junk emails, and because they don’t have much online experience, they’re more likely to click on links and answer questions they probably shouldn’t. While some emails may be legitimate, the last thing parents want or need is a $500 bill from a fraudulent website where a purchase may have been made — or worse, to give away personal information that can be traced back to your home.

Understanding the applications: Apps are downloaded software that run on different devices, such as smartphones. However, some apps can collect and share personal information about your child or target them with ads. Even free apps can include paid features, and children may not understand that some apps or game features are paid because they are labeled as free to download. They may click on these so-called free games and cost parents or guardians a lot of money at the end of the month.

File sharing sites:Many websites allow children to download free media content. A child may not realize that these sites often carry the risk of downloading a virus, which allows identity thieves to gain access to the game console, home computer, or cell phone being used. From there, the cyberthief can track financial transactions and physical location, or even access the home’s Wi-Fi network without anyone knowing.

Tips on how to manage online privacy for the family:

Discover the Children’s Advertising Control Unit (CARU)CARU’s self-regulatory programme provides detailed guidance to advertisers of children’s content on how to deal sensitively and honestly with issues relating to children. This guidance goes beyond questions of truthfulness and accuracy to take into account the particularly impressionable and vulnerable child audience.

Learn more about COPPA. COPPA protects the personal information of children under 13 on websites and online services, including apps. COPPA requires that these sites and services notify parents and obtain their consent before collecting, using, or disclosing a child’s personal information. However, if your nine-year-old tells Instagram that they are 13 (the age required to use the app), this law won’t protect them.

Learn more about FOSI.The Family Online Safety Institute brings an international perspective to the risks, dangers, and potential benefits of our online lives. The Good Digital Parenting web portal is a great resource for families looking to educate families about online safety measures in the Internet age.

Read the privacy policies together and understand the privacy settingsParents can ask their kids to read the privacy policies and terms of use of the apps they choose. While some may complain that the policies are “too long” or “it takes too much time,” remind them of the importance of knowing what they’re getting into and insist that they read them. Then, learn and understand the privacy settings of each app and game.

Do not share your location. Almost all apps automatically track a user’s location. Whether you’re ordering groceries or fast food online or playing an online game, review the apps on all your devices to see which ones are tracking your location. Then, if it’s not necessary, check your settings to see how to turn it off. Advise a friend or family member to avoid geotagging their posts with their location. Why? For example, you don’t want to announce that your family is on vacation abroad when the house is empty. A simple review of the geotagged post will reveal your location.

Use parental controls if necessary.While the best way to protect a child’s privacy online is to teach them how to manage it themselves, there’s nothing wrong with protecting them 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 also available. Find the option that works best. Explain to your child why you’re monitoring their activities.

Share with care and remember that personal information is like money. What is posted online can stay with them for a lifetime. Parents can teach their children that any information they share online can easily be copied and is nearly impossible to retrieve. Talk to them about who might see a post and how it might be perceived, and show them how anything they do online can have a positive or negative impact on other people. Sharing personal information can also give online thieves an idea of ​​what login information or passwords could be used for bank or other online accounts.

To learn more about child safety online, visitBBB Back to School HeadquartersVisit the National Cybersecurity Alliance for the latest information.

Rick Walz is the president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana, which serves 23 counties. Contact the BBB at 800-552-4631 or visit www.bbb.org.