Google’s top five tips for staying safe online

Google’s top five tips for staying safe online

In conjunction with Safer Internet Day (11 Feb, 2014), Google has released its top five online safety tips for parents and their kids.

Google’s Communications Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Annie Baxter, said: “The internet allows us many opportunities to explore, create and collaborate. But just as in real life, it’s important parents and children learn how to keep themselves safe on the web.

“These tips from Google provide a quick reference guide for families, so they can use the web and their devices more safely,” she said.


The top five

Keep computers in a central place in the home. This is the most important and easiest thing you can do, and will help you to keep an eye on your children’s online activities.

Teach your kids to create strong passwords and protect them. In addition, you should remind your children not to give out their passwords to anyone, and make sure they get into the habit of unclicking “remember me” settings on public computers such as those at school or in the library.

Think before you share. Take the following as a good rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t text it, email it, instant message it, or post it as a comment on someone’s page. Encourage your children to respect the privacy of friends and family by not identifying people by name in public profiles and pictures.

Know where your children go online. If you have young children, you might use the Internet with them. For older children you could talk about what kinds of sites they like to visit and what isn’t appropriate for your family. You can also check where your kids have been by looking at the history in your browser menu. Another option is to use filtering tools like Google SafeSearch.

Review the tools available. Sites like Google’s Family Safety Centre have a range of tips and tricks, from Safe Search settings to good password practices. Many smartphones and tablets have features that make parenting easier. For example, newer Android tablets allow you to create a “restricted profile” allowing you to control the apps or type of content your child can view.

To coincide with Safer Internet Day, Google is also releasing its new online Safety Centre at www.google.co.nz/safetycentre. The Safety Centre is a central source of tips and tools so New Zealanders can make the most out of the internet while keeping themselves safe and secure.

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