Helping Parents and Families this Safer Internet Day
Today is Safer Internet Day globally and to kick things off here in New Zealand, we hosted a breakfast to talk about online safety for families and children. We welcomed media and parents into Google to participate in a discussion about some helpful ways that parents can check their safety settings and teach their children about online citizenship.
Lucian Teo, User Outreach and Education Manager from Google’s Trust and Safety team, delivered the workshop and we were joined by Netsafe’s CEO Martin Cocker who also spoke about the incredible work they’ve been doing for the past 20 years to keep Kiwis safe online. We shared Google and Netsafe’s five top tips to teach your kids about online safety:
- Be mindful of what and to whom you are sharing your information with. Encourage thoughtful sharing by treating online communication like face-to-face communication.
- Don’t trust everything you see online. Be discerning and ‘think before you click’.
- Safeguard your personal information & take a privacy check up.
- Being kind online creates a brighter and safer place for everyone on the internet.
- If you see something, say something. When in doubt, talk it out with someone you trust.
While today is a great moment to pause and think carefully about how we’re keeping our families and kids safe online, this is also something that we should be considering all year round. To find out more, visit the Google Safety Centre for updated resources, easy security tips and information dedicated to educating and empowering people on important topics like data security, privacy controls and how to use technology in a way that is right for your family.
Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness about online safety and encourages everyone to help create a better internet. We hope that you take the opportunity today and regularly throughout the year to use these tools to stay safe online
