Back to School: How to Protect Children's Privacy Online

Monitoring children's online activity is an ongoing responsibility, especially now that school is back in session with its associated tasks and assignments. Here are some recommendations to help protect them in the digital world.

• Education: In addition to talking to minors, parents have a duty to educate them on how to properly use these modern digital tools.

One of the most important pieces of advice for preserving children's privacy is to teach them to never disclose personal information. Kids must understand that they should never reveal information about their home such as: address, school, parents' workplaces, last names, and phone numbers.

• Filtering: There are systems available in Latin America such as Circle, Koal Safe, or Ikydz that allow for some control over each digital device in the home with just a few clicks via a mobile app. There are also simpler ways to filter, such as family settings within search engines and web service providers.

Additionally, “Google Safe Search” can be activated, or the restricted mode on YouTube can be enabled.

A more advanced option is to set up an OpenDNS on a router, which allows parents to implement certain controls.

• Antivirus: It is essential for all devices with internet access to have good antivirus software to block certain types of threats. Children are prone to clicking on misleading links that can lead them to undesirable and dangerous places.

• Setting Time Limits: Not only should the Internet be used safely, but also responsibly; certain sites can trap children for hours.

Parents should be involved and set very clear rules and limits regarding the times and moments of Internet use; ideally, they should foster a love for other types of activities and sports in their children.

Teaching them about privacy: Finally, parents should teach their children how to manage the different privacy filters on social media. Additionally, they should discuss the importance of privacy in the digital age.