Some web pages and content on the Internet are not suitable for all audiences. Below are steps you can take to protect your child from material on the Internet that is harmful or unsuitable for children.

Talk

Talk to your children about the dangers of the Internet and what they should not do while on the Internet. Below is a basic listing of what you may consider discussing with your child.

Personal information

Never share personal information about yourself in chat rooms, on web pages, or with online forms. Examples of personal information include age, physical description, selfies, phone numbers, e-mail and webcam addresses, usernames, or location related information. Additionally, information like passwords, Internet service provider name, where you attend school, and your grade, should not be shared.

Never meet someone

Never agree to meet an individual from the Internet without the parents or guardian at the agreed meeting location.

Internet purchases

Never enter an area that costs money, requires a credit card, requires personal information, or asks for passwords. Also, don’t enter if you are prompted to hang up and dial another number without permission from a parent.

Downloads

Never accept a file or download from another user.

Web page

Do not visit web pages that are sent to you in an e-mail, chat, or instant messenger without a parent or guardian present.

Gifts

Never accept any gift from users you meet online.

Friends

Don’t give out your friend’s information as it could be tied to you.

Personal pictures

Never send someone a personal picture online or on a smartphone.

Talking about sex or provocative images

When online don’t talk about sex, post provocative images, or tease other people online.

Talk to you

If your child ever witnesses something that upsets them or makes them feel uncomfortable, make sure they know it’s ok to talk with you.

Monitor use

Monitor or browse the Internet with your kids and try to keep the computer in an open area. Don’t allow your child to have a computer in their room. If you need to monitor your children’s use while you’re away, consider a third-party filter to protect your computer from inappropriate sites. See the Internet filters section for a listing of these programs.

If you are using a new version of Windows, we highly recommend trying the Family Safety program included with Windows. Older versions of Windows running Microsoft Internet Explorer can also protect their family from harmful material by enabling Internet Explorer Content Advisor.

With mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, it can be more difficult to monitor your child’s use on the Internet. To help protect them on these devices, consider disabling Wi-Fi during the night or having all charging cables in a public place like the kitchen.

  • Internet Explorer Content Advisor help and information.

View Internet history

Make sure your child is not viewing appropriate pages by looking at the Internet browser’s history or make sure they are not deleting the history to hide what they are viewing.

Look at the browser address bar or location bar for additional information about what was typed in the browser address bar.

View IM buddies

If your computer has an Instant Messenger program, carefully review your child’s friend list or buddy list.

If your child is viewing web page’s in incognito mode, it is not saved to the history.

Social networking sites

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and MySpace are popular amongst younger users because they allow them to communicate with friends over the Internet. Unfortunately, these locations are also frequently visited by online predators because of online pictures and personal information posted by many of users participating on them. If you allow your children to use these sites, make sure they are not posting personal information about themselves as mentioned earlier on this page. We also strongly encourage that parents or the child who set up the account set their profile to private so only their friends and family can view the profile.

Become their friend

If your child is on a social networking site, join the same network and become their friend or follow them. Doing this is a great way to see what your child is doing and posting.

Know the lingo

The Internet is full of acronyms, lingo, codes, and other terms used to disguise what is being said. See the top 10 terms every parent should know for commonly used terms and codes and links to further information.

Disable webcams

If your computer has any digital camera or webcam connected, restrict your child from using it without your presence. Or, disconnect or disable it when it’s not being used. It’s also not a bad idea to place a piece of tape over the camera.

Watch school websites

Watch your child’s school web page for any personal information about your kids such as pictures of a student, full name, address, etc. This information is found using search engines if a predator knows your child’s full name, school, or grade.

Protect them in games

Many children and adults play online games and watch others play online games on Twitch. Like the Internet, children should not give out any personal information to other players or trade in-game items for in-game services or real-life personal information.

  • How to block a website.
  • How to set parental controls on a mobile device.
  • Where can I find a list of any nearby sex offenders?
  • How to protect yourself while on the Internet.
  • Is Facebook safe?
  • See the CDA, censorware, COPPA, ICRA, filter, Internet, PICS, and RSAC definitions for further information and related links.
  • Internet help and support.