INDEPTH: COMPUTER SECURITY Web safety for kids CBC News Online | Feb. 18, 2005
Rules everyone should follow
A lot of the advice given for kids on the internet doesn't just apply to them – it's good advice for anyone. It includes the following tips:
Create passwords that are hard to guess, but easy to remember.
Don't respond to spam or abusive e-mail.
Don't open files, pictures or games from people you don't know.
Don't give out personal information online.
Of course, adults can decide to give out their personal information when buying something from an online store, but kids shouldn't be given the option.
Nickname
Kids shouldn't give out any personal information online.
Most of the guides suggest having children use a gender-neutral nickname while online, so people can't tell immediately whether they are a boy or a girl.
Meeting online people face-to-face
Most guides suggest meeting online friends only if a parent approves and will be present. The Microsoft guide goes one step further, saying "real life" meetings should be forbidden until a child reaches 18.
Some guides say children should contact a teacher or parent right away if someone online suggests a meeting.
Netiquette and values
The Canada Safety Council online rules forbid sending rude or insulting messages over the web. Microsoft's guide suggests reinforcing to children that the difference between right and wrong is the same online as it is in "real life."
Many of the guides suggest ways of dealing with cyberbullies and griefers, bullies in online games. These include ignoring them, changing the game settings to remove them from the game, reporting them to the game's administrators or turning off the game and doing something else.
Filtering
Most guides don't mention using software to filter offensive websites, although some recommend titles such as Net Nanny or CyberPatrol. Microsoft suggests using such software as a complement, not a replacement, for parental supervision. It also recommends its own parental-control product.
Of course, disabling such software is against the rules.
How old?
The Microsoft guide to web safety for kids breaks down its tips by age and sets limits on what children can do in each age group. For example, it suggests not letting kids have their own e-mail account until they are seven years old and limits instant messaging to teenagers.
Microsoft's tips for children 13 and older also suggest discussing online gambling, pornography and offensive content, things teens will likely encounter when surfing unsupervised.
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