Parents more than ever need to be aware of the risks that their children face online, and they need to take action! The thoughts of what your child might come across online can be worrying, but being prepared and educated is the first step to creating a safe online environment for children.

“It is important to understand that the internet was not designed with children in mind, and yet they are the most active users” says Luke Abelev, VP of Private Investigations at Russia PI. The internet is an open space with all kinds of content. In the past, parents would worry about what their children could learn online. Currently the greatest concern is what criminals can learn about children and their family through the internet. The best safeguard against online dangers is being informed. Jump in and learn the basics of the Internet. Read articles, take a class, and talk to other parents.

Learn about your children preferred apps and websites to make sure what kind of information they are storing about your kids and what they do with it. Even the most “harmless” apps can be used by criminals today to learn more about what your children do and where they are. One of kid’s favorite apps, Snapchat, just added a geo-location feature that lets other people see what they’re up to in real time! And if you use an Android phone or have added Google apps such as Maps, the location is being tracked too. So while you thought maybe giving them a smartphone was a good idea to keep them busy and to contact them whenever you needed to, it might be doing more harm than good.

Social media networks and smartphone apps are now designed to obtain as much information about their users as possible. When a child starts his digital life, they should be accompanied by parents to learn from early stages the importance of privacy and how to make a safe use of the internet. Every app and social media site has privacy settings that you can read together (if your child is old enough), or for younger children you can decide how to set it up. Discovering the internet as a family is an effective way to make sure they understand the risks and implications of being an online user.

We all know also how good Russian hackers can be! Teach children that the less they share online, the less in danger they will be. And as a parent, respect their privacy too! Parents often share too much information about their children in Facebook, Instagram and other social networks. Anything that is uploaded and posted online can be used against you, or even worse, against them.

Take advantage of the software that exists to help parents manage their children’s digital experience. In only a few minutes, parental control software can block inappropriate websites, restrict the amount of time that your kids use the Internet and monitor their chats to protect against predators.

Remember that protecting privacy is as important for children and adults. If you meet someone online, get a background check investigation before sharing any details about yourself or family.

C. Wright
© 2017 Russia PI™

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