GATINEAU, QC, March 26, 2019 /CNW/ - The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has relaunched its "House Rules"— an interactive tool for families aimed at helping parents manage the online risks facing their children.
Privacy is about preserving an individual's ability to control their own personal information so that it doesn't wind up being used in ways you hadn't expected – possibly with negative consequences. The OPC wants families to consider their online behaviour and how family members' personal information may be collected, used and disclosed, so that children will learn to think twice before sharing any sensitive detail. Having a privacy plan setting out the family dos and don'ts can help everyone work together to protect privacy.
Parents are invited to use the tool to assess how their children interact online through games, mobile applications and social networking sites as a means of starting a dialogue on safe and responsible digital citizenship. With this tool, parents can take the time to learn how their children spend time online and then discuss ways to protect privacy while communicating, exploring and learning.
It's an easy-to-use tool that family members are encouraged to discuss and use together. The tool offers simple tips parents and children can customize into their very own "House Rules" that can be printed off and posted in a common area as a reminder of how to protect privacy online.
Examples include:
- We will think before we click. We know photos, videos, comments or personal information can sometimes be tough to take down. We will ask ourselves: What would grandma, grandpa or a favourite teacher think if he or she saw this?
- Some people do go into other people's accounts and try to cause trouble, so we will make our passwords hard to guess and won't share them.
- We will work with an adult we trust to learn how to post things online.
- If we are uncomfortable with the personal information an app collects, we won't download it. We know our information is valuable and we will think about what we are providing (and why!) before surrendering details just to get an app.
- Just because a game has a privacy policy doesn't mean it won't share my information with other people or companies. When trying out a new game, we will ask a parent or guardian first, and will provide the least information needed in order to create an account. We know our information is valuable.
- Before we post a photo or video with someone else in it, or "tag" a person, we will ask them first. If they say no, we will respect their privacy and not post.
For more information and advice about youth privacy, visit priv.gc.ca/houserules
For further information contact the OPC at [email protected]
Related links:
Interactive Tool: House Rules for Online Privacy
10 Tips for Protecting Personal Information
SOURCE Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
For further information contact the OPC at [email protected]
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