Protecting Kids Online
REF: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/protecting-kids-online
REF: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0028-cyberbullying
REF: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0018-understanding-mobile-apps
REF: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0025-kids-and-mobile-phones
REF: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0028-cyberbullying
REF: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0018-understanding-mobile-apps
REF: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0025-kids-and-mobile-phones
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying or harassment that happens online. It can happen in an email, a text message, a game, or on a social networking site. It might involve spreading rumors or images posted on someone's profile or passed around for others to see, or creating a group or page to make a person feel left out.
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Help Prevent Cyberbullying
Talk to your kids about bullying. Tell your kids that they can't hide behind the words they type and the images they post. Bullying is a lose-lose situation. Hurtful messages not only make the target feel bad, but also make the sender look bad. Often they can bring scorn from peers and punishment from authorities. Ask your kids to let you know if an online message or image makes them feel threatened or hurt. If you fear for your child's safety, contact the police. Read the comments. Cyberbullying often involves mean-spirited comments. Check out your kid's page from time to time to see what you find. Recognize the signs of a cyberbully. Could your kid be the bully? Look for signs of bullying behavior, such as creating mean images of another kid. Keep in mind that you are a model for your children. Kids learn from adults' gossip and other behavior. Help stop cyberbullying. Most kids don’t bully, and there’s no reason for anyone to put up with it. If your child sees cyberbullying happening to someone else, encourage him or her to try to stop it by telling the bully to stop and by not engaging or forwarding anything. Researchers say that bullying usually stops pretty quickly when peers intervene on behalf of the victim. One way to help stop bullying online is to report it to the site or network where you see it. |
What to do About a Cyberbully
Don't react to the bully. If your child is targeted by a cyberbully, keep a cool head. Remind your child that most people realize bullying is wrong. Tell your child not to respond in kind. Instead, encourage him or her to work with you to save the evidence and talk to you about it. If the bullying persists, share the record with school officials or local law enforcement. Protect your child’s profile. If your child finds a profile that was created or altered without his or her permission, contact the site to have it taken down. Block or delete the bully. If the bullying involves instant messaging or another online service that requires a "friend" or "buddy" list, delete the bully from the lists or block their user name or email address. 
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Understanding Mobile Apps
If you have a smart phone or other mobile device, you probably use apps – to play games, get turn-by-turn directions, access news, books, weather, and more. Easy to download and often free, mobile apps can be so much fun and so convenient that you might download them without thinking about some key considerations: how they’re paid for, what information they may gather from your device, or who gets that information.
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Mobile App Basics
What’s a mobile app? A mobile app is a software program you can download and access directly using your phone or another mobile device, like a tablet or music player. What do I need to download and use an app? You need a smart phone or another mobile device with internet access. Not all apps work on all mobile devices. Once you buy a device, you’re committed to using the operating system and the type of apps that go with it. The Android, Apple, Microsoft and BlackBerry mobile operating systems have app stores online where you can look for, download, and install apps. Some online retailers also offer app stores. You’ll have to use an app store that works with your device’s operating system. To set up an account, you may have to provide a credit card number, especially if you’re going to download an app that isn’t free. Why are some apps free? Some apps are distributed for free through app stores; the developers make money in a few ways:
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Kids and Mobile Apps
What should I know before I download an app for my kids? In a recent survey of mobile apps for kids, FTC staff found that kids’ apps might:
To learn more about an app before you download it, look at screen shots, read the description, content rating and any user reviews, and do some research on the developer. You also can look up outside reviews from sources you respect. Are there ways to restrict how my kids use apps? Before you pass the phone or tablet to your kids, take a look at your settings. You may be able to restrict content to what’s right for your kid’s age, set a password so apps can’t be downloaded without it, and set a password so your kids can’t buy stuff without it. You also can turn off Wi-Fi and data services or put your phone on airplane mode so it can’t connect to the internet. The best way to keep up with kids’ apps is try them out yourself and talk to your kids about your rules for using apps. 
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Questions About Your Privacy
What types of data can apps access?
When you sign up with an app store or download individual apps, you may be asked for permission to let them access information on your device. Some apps may be able to access:
If you’re providing information when you’re using the device, someone may be collecting it – whether it’s the app developer, the app store, an advertiser, or an ad network. And if they’re collecting your data, they may share it with other companies.
What types of data can apps access?
When you sign up with an app store or download individual apps, you may be asked for permission to let them access information on your device. Some apps may be able to access:
- your phone and email contacts
- call logs
- internet data
- calendar data
- data about the device’s location
- the device’s unique IDs
- information about how you use the app itself
If you’re providing information when you’re using the device, someone may be collecting it – whether it’s the app developer, the app store, an advertiser, or an ad network. And if they’re collecting your data, they may share it with other companies.
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How can I tell what information an app will access or share?
It’s not always easy to know what data a specific app will access, or how it will be used. Before you download an app, consider what you know about who created it and what it does. The app stores may include information about the company that developed the app, if the developer provides it. If the developer doesn’t provide contact information – like a website or an email address – the app may be less than trustworthy. If you’re using an Android operating system, you will have an opportunity to read the “permissions” just before you install an app. Read them. It’s useful information that tells you what information the app will access on your device. Ask yourself whether the permissions make sense given the purpose of the app; for example, there’s no reason for an e-book or “wallpaper” app to read your text messages. |
Why do some apps collect location data?
Some apps use specific location data to give you maps, coupons for nearby stores, or information about who you might know nearby. Some provide location data to ad networks, which may combine it with other information in their databases to target ads based on your interests and your location. Once an app has your permission to access your location data, it can do so until you change the settings on your phone. If you don’t want to share your location with advertising networks, you can turn off location services in your phone’s settings. But if you do that, apps won’t be able to give you information based on your location unless you enter it yourself. Your phone uses general data about its location so your phone carrier can efficiently route calls. Even if you turn off location services in your phone’s settings, it may not be possible to completely stop it from broadcasting your location data. |
Kids & Mobile Phones
What age is appropriate for a kid to have a mobile phone? That's something for you and your family to decide. Consider your child’s age, personality, and maturity, and your family's circumstances. Is your child responsible enough to follow rules set by you and the school?
When you decide your children are ready for a mobile phone, teach them to think about safety and responsibility.
When you decide your children are ready for a mobile phone, teach them to think about safety and responsibility.
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Phones, Features, and Options
Decide on options and features for your kid's phone. Your mobile phone company and the phone itself should give you some choices for privacy settings and child safety controls. Most carriers allow parents to turn off features, like web access, texting, or downloading. Some cell phones are made especially for children. They're designed to be easy to use, and have features like limited internet access, minute management, number privacy, and emergency buttons. Be smart about smart phones. Many phones offer web access and mobile apps. If your children are going to use a phone and you're concerned about what they might find online, you can choose a phone with limited internet access, or you can turn on web filtering. Get familiar with social mapping. Many mobile phones now have GPS technology installed: kids with these phones can pinpoint where their friends are — and be pinpointed by their friends. Advise your kids to use these features only with friends they know in person and trust, and not to broadcast their location to the world, 24-7. In addition, some carriers offer GPS services that let parents map their kid's location. |
Develop Cell Phone Rules
Explain what you expect. Talk to your kids about when and where it's appropriate to use their cell phones. You also may want to establish rules for responsible use. Do you allow calls or texting at the dinner table? Do you have rules about cell phone use at night? Should they give you their cell phones while they're doing homework, or when they're supposed to be sleeping? Don't stand for mobile bullying. Kids can use mobile phones to bully or harass others. Talk to your kids about treating others the same way they want to be treated. The manners and ethics you've taught them apply on phones, too. Set an example. It's illegal to drive while texting or surfing or talking on the phone without a hands-free device in many states, but it's dangerous everywhere. Set an example for your kids. Talk to them about the dangers and consequences of distracted driving. |
Mobile Sharing and Networking
Networking and sharing on-the-go can present unique opportunities and challenges. These tools can foster creativity and fun, but they could cause problems related to personal reputation and safety.
Use care when sharing photos and videos.
Most mobile phones now have camera and video capability, making it easy for teens to capture and share every moment. Encourage your teens to think about their privacy and that of others before they share photos and videos via cell phone. Get the okay of the photographer or the person in the shot before posting videos or photos. It could be embarrassing and even unsafe. It's easier to be smart upfront about what media they share at the outset than to do damage control later.
Use good judgment with mobile social networking.
Many social networking sites have a feature that allows users to check their profiles and post comments from their phones, allowing access from anywhere. Filters you've installed on your home computer won't limit what kids can do on a phone. If your teens are using a mobile phone, talk to them about using good sense when they're social networking from it.
Networking and sharing on-the-go can present unique opportunities and challenges. These tools can foster creativity and fun, but they could cause problems related to personal reputation and safety.
Use care when sharing photos and videos.
Most mobile phones now have camera and video capability, making it easy for teens to capture and share every moment. Encourage your teens to think about their privacy and that of others before they share photos and videos via cell phone. Get the okay of the photographer or the person in the shot before posting videos or photos. It could be embarrassing and even unsafe. It's easier to be smart upfront about what media they share at the outset than to do damage control later.
Use good judgment with mobile social networking.
Many social networking sites have a feature that allows users to check their profiles and post comments from their phones, allowing access from anywhere. Filters you've installed on your home computer won't limit what kids can do on a phone. If your teens are using a mobile phone, talk to them about using good sense when they're social networking from it.
