ONLINE SAFETY & PRIVACY.

With the minefield of technology available to us and constant changes with app updates it is difficult to keep track of how secure your privacy settings are and what on your profile the world can see.

Why are privacy settings so important for protecting children?

As parents we are always the first to share exciting milestones of our children and what better way to do that than a quick post on Facebook. However there are predators online, in fact over 750,000 at any given one time that is lurking in the background looking for children’s photos. We are not just talking about photos of children in the bath or the pool, we are talking about simple innocent every day photos. These images of your children can be used in a variety of ways.

We also urge you as parents to check these steps on your children’s account and ensure that you check them regularly. The greatest safety measure for a child online is a proactive parent who monitors their social media usage regularly.

We will be adding various platforms over time but for now we will start with Facebook  and Instagram, the two most requested by our followers. If there are any platforms you would like to see here please send us a message and we will include it here.

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FACEBOOK

 

1. Head to Settings  (on PC click on the arrow in the top right corner, on mobile click on the 3 bars at the bottom right)

2. Click on Privacy

3. Mark who can see your future posts as “Friends (as below)  ​

 

 

 

 

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1. Click on “Limit Past Posts” and click the button.

2. This will now limit all your posts and photos to be viewed only by your friends list, not just your current ones but anything you have ever posted on Facebook.

 

 

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There is an exception to the rule and that is Profile and Cover Photo’s. The ones that you currently have on your profile CANNOT be made private so these are viewable by the entire Facebook world. You can make your previous profile and cover photos private but these must be done one at a time
 

• Go to each image and you will see the world icon

 

 

 

 

 

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• Click on the arrow and change it to friends

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So always be cautious what you post on your profile and cover photo as they are public. It is always a good idea to keep a check on your Facebook Privacy Setting whenever there is an update as the settings have been known to change.

 
You can view what your profile looks like to non-Facebook friends using your desktop computer. This is a good tool to check also:
 

• Go to your profile (bottom right of your cover photo and click on view as:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• This will show you what your profile looks like to the rest of the world

 

 

 

 

 
INSTAGRAM

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• Go to your profile page and click on the 3 dots on the top right.

• Scroll down and switch your account to private​

 

 

 

 

 

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To maintain privacy you can choose to not have a description or share your location but be mindful this is what the public sees.

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With this generation of kids being the first to grow up not knowing a world without Social Media, it is easy for them to be complacent about the dangers of online predators they could encounter.

For parents it is daunting and an almost impossible feat to keep up with the latest apps and how they work. For any queries on any apps, parents can contact us anytime with questions via our website or Facebook page.

The below tips are what we encourage parents to share with their children. By following the guide below, this will minimise the risk of your child encountering a predator online.

From our experience we find online groomers in every corner of the globe, in all neighborhoods of all demographics. Be proactive not reactive with your child’s online safety.

PRC Pointers for Online Safety

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• Keep all your social media accounts set to the highest privacy settings

• Don’t post any public photos of yourself with identifying features such as school uniforms, your house etc.

• Keep your location settings private

• Never send naked or inappropriate photographs of yourself or forward on images that you have received

• Don’t accept friends on social media that you don’t know face to face

• Be very cautious of who you speak to online, don’t add them to your social media and don’t give out any personal details

• Don’t arrange to meet up with strangers.

 
If you encounter anything sinister online please don’t delete the exchanges. Email our Intel team at info@projectrescuechildren.org for support. 

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Download Out Parental Social Media Agreement Here