Tips to Protect Your Child’s Online Privacy and Security

In this new age of smart phones, laptops, and tablets with constant Internet access, children have more unsupervised access to the Internet than ever before. However, giving your child safe and private Internet access begins and ends at home. Here are tips to help you protect your child while still allowing him to enjoy the Internet:

1. Teach Them to Be Smart- Teaching your child to be aware of the media will protect him from the advertising online. Talk to your kids about online bullying, gender representation, and especially online security to prepare them for what is really out there.
2. Get a VPN – These days, VPNs are readily available for everyone to use. They encrypt all of your Internet activity, protecting you and your child’s identities and stop websites from tracking your Internet usage. Use a VPN on all of your Internet devices including your smart phone and tablet. They are so easy to use that your kid’s will be able to learn quickly.
3. Actually Read Privacy Policies – It can be so easy to quickly scroll through and accept website privacy policies. However, you should thoroughly read all policies pertaining to websites that your children use so you can make informed decisions about which websites are safe and which should be off-limits.
4. Protect All Devices – Don’t just stop at your laptop or desktop! Tablets, smart phones, and even gaming consoles with Internet access need the same treatment as your PC in terms of private Internet access. Especially be aware of online games with a multiplayer function, as your child could accidentally over share with anyone around the world.
5. Avoid Strangers – The same rule is applicable both online and on the web. Tell your children to never share their name, location, image, or any other information with a stranger on the Internet. Sharing with known friends and family of OK, but be sure that they know what they can share and what they should not as pictures can live on the web forever.
6. Check Any and All Privacy Settings – Social Networks like Facebook and MySpace have privacy settings to protect photos, videos, or other posts from unknown users. Make sure to check the settings as often as possible as they frequently change and are updated.
7. Review Your Browser History – You can find out what sites your children have visited by looking at the browser’s history. But, teens and young adults quickly discover how to clear the browser history, so if it’s empty it could mean they are hiding something.
8. Limit Usage – Change security settings and filters on your computer to limit your child’s access to websites or content you do not approve of.

Ensure your child has privatehttp://www.vpnsecret.com/private-internet-access-review/nternetaccess by using a VPN and doing your research on how to keep him informed.