Internet Privacy Issues
Many children are skilled navigators of the Internet. They are comfortable using computers and are fascinated by the information and images that can be explored at the click of a mouse. The survey shows that 90% of school-age children have access to computers either at home or at school. The ability to interact and communicate with others is one of the biggest attractions of the Internet for children. We are watching children spending time with people in chat rooms, scoail networking sites, instant messaging through mobiles, playing games, entering contests and filling forms in popular online activities. Unfortunately, most parents don't really understand and how such activities can put their children's privacy at risk or even threaten their safety. Surprisingly in India, Most parents doesn’t know about some of the activities about their children participating in Internet.
In today’s internet world, the personal data is a valuable and protecting the same has become a skill that the children need to understand and learn.
Children privacy can be compromised in certain online activities
- Fill out forms for various surveys, contests, download games on commercial or free web sites
- Filling about personal information when registering for e-mail access, Chat access
- Providing information when registering for free game downloads
- Providing information when registering for social networking web sites
Tips for Parents
Parents play an important role in teaching their kids the importance of protecting personal information while online.
Teach your children
- About the value of their personal information and family values.
- About internet ethics to participate in Internet.
- To protect their privacy on the Internet by not sharing personal details when using chat rooms, bulletin boards, instant messaging or visiting Web sites. This includes name, gender, age, home address, e-mail address, phone number, picture, credit card information or passwords
- Check out sites your children visit, and see what kind of information the sites ask for or allow children to post.
- Discuss with children about Internet risks and benefits.
- To learn to look at privacy policy which shows about the access of that web site.
- To take permission from parents, teachers to submit personal information in Internet.
- To report the concern authorities through elders for any suspicious activity towards them.
- To follow guidelines and safe guard activities of Internet.
- To encourage children to use gender-neutral nicknames, so no one can tell whether they are male or female when communicating over the Internet.
- As a parent, you have to read the privacy policies of children privacy, data collected from the site and the web site security on your personal privacy and what steps are being taken to safeguard children's privacy when they participate in chat rooms, message boards and e-mail activities on the site.
