How to stay safe online

Whether you're on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or any other social networking site, there are things you can do to make sure that you stay safe when you're online. Here are our top tips.

1. Don’t post or give out personal information– such as your name, email, phone number, home address, and email address or school name – to people who you don’t know in real life.

2. Never share images, send pictures or do anything on a webcam that you wouldn’t want your family or friends to see.

3. When you share photographs online, including on profile pages, make sure that the location you are in can’t be identified. For instance make sure that the name of the road /house place you live at or local areas / landmarks and or car licence plates can’t be seen by people you don’t know.

4. Keep your online and phone privacy settings set to high. If you don’t know how to do this ask an adult who you trust.

5. Don’t accept friend requests or chat to people who you don’t really know. Remember ‘friends’, who contact you, might not be who they say they are!  People can use fake names, profiles and photos to make you think they are someone they’re not.

6. Don’t agree to meet up with anyone who you have only spoken to online, and never meet someone in secret on your own, who you don’t really know. If anyone suggests that you meet them, always tell your parent / carer, a teacher or an adult that you trust.

7. Remember to be careful about accepting e-mails, IM messages or opening files from people or names you don’t know or trust. These might contain viruses, pornographic images or nasty messages and might allow people you don’t know to access your personal information

8. Make sure you know about the safety features on any networking site. Some, for example, have a ‘panic button’ which you can press if you see something that shouldn't be there.

9. If you see something online that makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if someone asks you to do something that makes you feel the same, leave the website or stop the chat immediately and tell an adult you trust. This can be a parent, carer, relative, teacher, or you can make a report to one of CEOP's Child Protection Advisors.

10. Are you worried about online sexual abuse or the way someone has been communicating with you online? Make a report to one of CEOP's Child Protection Advisors.

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