Internet Safety

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Introduction

Social networking through sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn is flourishing like never before, and many of us have now become comfortable with communicating online. However, before we relax too much into this new way of interacting, we may need to take a closer look at the issues regarding safety and privacy in order to protect ourselves both online and offline.

In this lesson, we will introduce current issues regarding privacy, in addition to providing strategies and tips for communicating safely and effectively while online. These tips will include how to set up a profile, what to consider before you share, what to do when you meet people face to face, and how to practice good netiquette.

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Social networking and privacy

Social networking and sharing on the web are taking off in ways that we may never have imagined. But along with all of the fun social aspects come big questions about privacy.

Legal issues

As the popularity of social networking increases, so too do the libel cases being brought to court based on defamatory posts and tweets. What you share on social media is written documentation that can be traced back to you if required by law. You should know that in extreme cases you may not retain a right to privacy even if you have posted something anonymously.

Cybercrime

It is best to remain as anonymous as possible in online profiles and carefully consider what information you share. Sharing personal information like your birthday, address, or place of work can give cybercriminals what they need to break into your house or even your bank account. To be safe, never post sensitive information unless you can control who sees it. 

Behavior tracking

Many commercial and social media sites collect data about your online activity and preferences. However, users don't always understand how their information is being shared with and used by third-parties. For example, you may be aware that Facebook tracks what you do on its own site, but you may not realize that it receives data about your activities from other sites, as well. If you feel that this practice violates your privacy, you can install a browser plug-in like Adblock Plus or Privacy Badger, which will prevent most sites from collecting your data.

Geolocation

Some web sites and mobile apps have a feature called geolocation, which uses GPS to share your current location with other people. A similar feature called geotagging automatically adds location information to photos taken with cell phones, which can then be read with special software. These features can be fun, but they could also provide criminals with information about your habits and whereabouts. To be safe, it's a good idea to disable the geotag feature on your cell phone, and to disable geolocation features before posting online if you don't want to share your location.

Child protection

Children who are active online face all the same potential dangers as adults, but without having the knowledge or maturity to protect themselves effectively. All parents should therefore discuss Internet safety with their kids and monitor their social media and Internet use. For more information, go to our Internet Safety for Kids tutorial.

Image and persona

In the era of the Internet, damaging or embarrassing information about a person can be spread quickly, widely, and permanently, thus affecting his or her image and persona both on and offline. In extreme cases, people have been fired for complaining about their jobs online or rejected by colleges based on online party photos. What you share online can be seen by anyone, so it is important to be aware of the image you are presenting.

Additional resources

Go to Online Privacy & Technology from PrivacyRights.org for more information on how privacy is affected by technology.

Go to Can the law keep up with technology? from CNN.com to review an article on legal cases regarding online technology.

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Setting up profiles on social networking sites

Most social networking sites require you to set up a profile to join. Some profiles are simple and may only include a screen name and image, like when you join a website's discussion board. Other profiles, such as those on YouTube or Facebook, can give you a lot of freedom to be creative and elaborate. Follow these tips to safely represent yourself in an online profile.

 Screen name

It may be okay to use your full name as a screen name on sites where you can limit your sharing to the people you know. Some sites, like Facebook, may even require you to use your real full name. However, on a message board or chat room, you should use just your first name or a pseudonym (fictitious name), since you are interacting with strangers. If you are using a pseudonym, avoid choosing one that may be seen as inappropriate or suggestive, like partygirl19. Instead, try using a more neutral name based on a hobby or interest, such as booklover44.

Profile picture

A profile picture can either be a photo or an avatar, which is a graphical image that represents you. On Facebook, most people use photos of themselves. However, on a more public site, you may want to use an avatar, as it allows you to remain more anonymous. Remember that many people will be able to see your profile picture, so it's important to choose a picture that won't reflect negatively on you.

 

Profile information

You should be careful about what personal information you share in your profile. If possible, set up your account so that only friends can see your personal info. You should never make your birthday or home address publicly viewable.

Contact information

Avoid including any contact information other than your email address in your profile. It may even be a good idea to open a separate email address for social networking connections in order to protect your normal account from getting cluttered with spam and phishing emails. Do not use home phone numbers on a social media profile. If you must include a phone number, use a mobile phone number. 

Note that some websites may require you to enter a phone number in order to create an account. Generally, this will not make your phone number publicly visible. For more information, check out our blog article I Have to Provide My Phone Number? Using Phone Verification. 

Image and persona

Many sites allow you to customize your profile with wallpaper, personal interests, and likes. Always consider what type of public image you would like to present as you decide what information to include in your profile. Anything that is racy or inappropriate may lower someone's impression of you when you apply for college or jobs.

Don't forget to create a strong password, so no one can access your accounts. Learn how in our Passwords Lesson.

Review your privacy settings

Social networking sites have settings for privacy, but many people either do not customize them or do not understand how to do so. Facebook is a perfect example of a site with complicated settings that have the potential to expose a user's private information. So with all this confusion, how can you make sure your profile is protected?

• Carefully review a site's privacy policy
  It is best to thoroughly review the privacy policy of any site that you join in order to understand how your information is being displayed and used. If the privacy policy is overwhelming and confusing, then conduct some research and see what kind of advice or tutorials are offered.
• Pay attention to site policy changes
  It's not always enough to read the privacy policy carefully when you join a website, since sites will sometimes change their policies with little to no warning to their users. Make sure you're aware of any changes by periodically checking tech news sites like Techcrunch or ReadWrite for information about social media sites you use.

• Look for advice or tutorials
  Conduct a search on how to set up a profile for the site that you are interested in. Often, there will be blogs or how-to tutorials that will uncover the things you really need to know about how to maintain your privacy on certain sites.

• Google yourself
  The best way to see how your profile is being displayed is to enter your name into a search on Google. Visit our Googling Yourself page to learn more.

You can learn more about Facebook privacy settings in our Facebook 101 tutorial.

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Netiquette Tips

In order to avoid awkward or negative experiences while communicating online, it is helpful to know the basics of netiquette. Netiquette refers to network etiquette for online communications and can be very helpful for beginners. Listed below are a few basic tips everyone should practice when communicating online.

• Be Respectful
  Always treat others as you would like to be treated. A good rule of thumb is not to communicate anything online that you would not be willing to say to a person's face.
• Don't Be Too Quick to Take Offense
  In online communication, we usually cannot see facial expressions, judge body language or hear tone of voice. Therefore, it is very easy to misinterpret the meaning of a message or post. Also, the technology itself tends to make us less personable. Before taking the offensive, clarify a message with the sender.
• Use Emoticons and Abbreviations to Convey Meaning
  To convey tone, humor and meaning, learn common abbreviations, like "lol" (laugh out loud) or "jk" (just kidding), or use emoticons, such as :) or :( or =0. However, be careful not to overuse these symbols, otherwise your messages might become annoying or hard to read.
• Protect the Privacy of Others
  As a courtesy, you should ask permission before posting photos or videos of others online. You should also protect the email addresses of others by deleting them from emails you forward.
• Check Your Language
  Using offensive language online is unpleasant and can cause people to view you negatively. Take a few moments to check your communication before sending it, and avoid using foul or inappropriate language.

For a more extensive resource on netiquette, visit Albion.com or NetworkEtiquette.net. Also, keep in mind that the rules may vary for email, online chats, web forums, online gaming and other social networking outlets. It may be smart to search for specific rules pertaining to the particular outlet you are using.

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Think before you share!

As we become more comfortable with communicating and sharing online, we still need to keep in mind that what we post has the potential to get us into trouble. Something about the impersonal nature of technology makes us feel safe about writing or posting things we would likely not say to an individual face to face. In some situations, we definitely need to think before we hit send.

Consider the following examples:

• A teacher in North Carolina complained about her students on Facebook and ended up getting suspended and then reassigned to a different position. Think before you hit share, especially when posting comments about your job.
• A job candidate sent a scathing email when he was rejected for a position by a hiring manager. He may have been considered for a second opening, but instead he destroyed his chances. Think before you hit send, especially if you are upset, frustrated, or angry.
• A politician in South Carolina used his work email account to send romantic messages to his lover. The messages were retrieved and published in the media, causing great embarrassment. Think! Never post or write personal or inappropriate content in the accounts you use on the job. They are not considered private, and any content belongs to the company and can be used against you.
• An administrative assistant takes a sick day and heads out to the beach for a day of fun. Unfortunately, her tweets about her great day at the beach get back to her boss. Think! Managers are now using social media more and more to catch employees participating in unprofessional behavior.
  
  

We tend to use online sharing for casual communication and socializing; therefore, it's easy to become careless. Here's a good rule to keep in mind: Do not write or post anything you would not be comfortable sharing with an entire room full of people.

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Precautions to take when meeting people face to face

As we get to know people online, there may be times when we want to meet them in person in the real world. It is extremely important that we take precautions before meeting face to face with someone online. Criminals and fraudsters can easily fake their identities and pretend to be someone else while online in order to lure victims into meeting with them in person.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn the basic steps every person should use, whether you are meeting an online date, purchasing an item from a Craigslist seller, or just getting together with a buddy from a gaming site.

You can also chat with a person on the phone before meeting in person, but be careful to block your caller ID or use an anonymous phone service like Skype. Never use your home phone or give out your phone number because this information can be used to identify and locate you.

Warning signs

Review the following tips to avoid running into trouble with people you meet face to face.

• Trust your instincts, and pay attention when something doesn't feel right. Watch for "red flags" and questionable characteristics. Are the people you talk to controlling? Do they talk badly about others? Do they avoid certain questions? Are they quick to get mad? Your gut instincts are a good measure of whether you should proceed with someone or end things right away.
• Take your time, and maintain control. At any time if you feel uncomfortable, you have the right to walk away and end communications without any need to explain. Do not allow someone to persuade or badger you into moving forward before you are comfortable with doing so. If a person is genuine, he or she will understand your need to take things slowly.
• End things with someone who brings up "sex talk" too soon or asks about money. These people are almost always insincere and could end up scamming or harming you.
• Avoid drinking alcohol before or during your meeting, as this can impair your ability to judge another person and the safety of the circumstances.

Additional resources

Visit these websites for additional resources for online dating and online buying and selling:

• Online Dating Safety Tips from OnlineDatingMagazine.com
• 11 Safety Tips for Online Dating from iLookBothWays.com
• Safety Tips for Selling Things on the Internet from iLookBothWays.com