1. Use strong passwords
- Help your child make passwords that are hard to guess
- Use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols
- Never share passwords with friends
- Use different passwords for different accounts
Protecting your child’s identity online: A simple guide for parents.
Key takeaways
- Protect your child by keeping their personal information safe.
- Use privacy settings and improve security to control who can see personal information.
- Talk to your child about privacy and how they can stay safe online.
What is personal information?
We all have personal information we want to keep safe. This includes things like:
- name and age
- where we live
- phone number
- email address
- photos of us or our family
- school or places we often go to
When this information gets shared online, it stays there for a long time – sometimes forever! This is called a digital footprint.
Everything we share online adds to our digital footprint. And everything we share online about our kids adds to their digital footprint!
Sometimes, strangers can find our digital footprint and use the information to hurt us or others.
Sometimes, strangers can find our digital footprint and use the information to hurt us or others.
Find and protect personal information
These days, kids spend a lot of time online for learning, playing and talking with friends. To protect their information online, you need to know what platforms they’re using. Then you can find the settings that can help protect them.
When you know what social media, games, apps and sites your child uses, use The eSafety Guide. The guide includes many popular platforms and explains how to protect personal information and stay safe:
When you know what social media, games, apps and sites your child uses, use The eSafety Guide. The guide includes many popular platforms and explains how to protect personal information and stay safe:
Simple steps to keep your kids safe online
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2. Make devices safe
- Put password locks on phones and tablets
- Only download apps from trusted places (like the App Store or Google Play)
- Turn off location sharing when it's not needed
- Know what apps your kids are using
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3. Check privacy settings
- Set up privacy controls before letting kids use new apps
- Look at privacy settings together with your kids
- Check these settings regularly, like when school starts
- Make sure you know who can see what your kids post
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4. Be careful with personal information
- Think twice before sharing photos of your kids online
- Ask yourself: "Would I want strangers to see this?"
- Remember that companies can use this information for advertising
- Help your kids understand what's okay to share and what isn't
Teach your child about online safety
Online safety is for parents and for children! Start by having a simple talk with your child about privacy.
eSafety also suggests:
- exploring the online world together
- involving your child in decisions about sharing photos or videos of them
- reminding older kids to think carefully before they post
Where to get help
If something goes wrong online, don't panic! You can find help by:
- talking to your child's school
- reporting bullying or harmful content at esafety.gov.au/report
- going to IDCARE.org if you're worried about identity theft
- reporting privacy concerns on oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints
Learn more
To understand more about protecting your child online, read these eSafety resources:
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