Every day we use dozens of apps, websites and online services which collect and share our personal information.
In this section, you can find out more about how to control your information and stay safe when online so that you can make the most out of what the internet has to offer.
Your safety while online should always be your first priority. Social media companies have a range of security settings on their sites in order to keep you safe while using the social media platform. Keep up to date with their latest features to make sure that you and your personal information are safe online. Always remember to check your settings when you update an app on your phone or tablet. And remember to regularly install updates as they often contain security fixes.
Each different platform has a way to control your privacy settings so that you can choose who can see the information in your profile and content you choose to share. Remember that if something is public anyone can see it; your relatives, your employer, the young people, learners and community members you work with, a newspaper and, of course, cyber criminals.
It’s important to make sure you’re aware of who can see what you’re doing, saying and sharing on social media. Internet Matters provides information on privacy settings and you’ll have the option to do a privacy check-up on their website.
Social media platforms, websites, apps, and games should collect only the information they need to accomplish their purposes. And whatever personal information is collected should be kept private and protected from unauthorised access such as hackers and data brokers snooping for personal information.
A good way to think about it is that the security practices we can easily observe on a website give us some insight to the internal practices that we can’t see.
And, finally, we know it won’t be fun, but read the privacy policies. What you should look for is how those sites will use and share the information they collect, and how they will they notify you if their policies change.
Thankfully, there’s a growing awareness among people about the importance of doing what we can to make sure that we have all the benefits of technology for socialising, shopping and learning, but a right to privacy, too.
Check how well you know your rights online and take a look at a resource created by the Children’s Commissioner on understanding Terms and Conditions.
Set a social media agreement & encourage young people to create one with their family, NSPCC have a useful resource to get you started.
ResourcesYouthLink Scotland | Resources
Social Media
Every day we use dozens of apps, websites and online services which collect and share our personal information.
In this section, you can find out more about how to control your information and stay safe when online so that you can make the most out of what the internet has to offer.