Social Media platforms, like Twitter and Facebook, are a great way to connect with friends and family, share your thoughts and ideas and connect with like-minded people. The Internet and Social Media are also used by Extremists and Terrorist to promote their ideology and recruit or radicalise people. Take a look through our hints and tips to make sure you & your family stay safe online.

What Can I Do?

Know who
you're talking to

Don’t give out
personal information

Not everything online
is true

Protect children
and the vulnerable

Protect your
online reputation

Know where
to find help

Don't give
in to pressure

Check that content
is appropriate

Only open messages
from sources you trust

Speak to someone
if you feel uncomfortable

Keep it
safe

Conduct

Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents’ or carers’ permission and even then only when they can be present. Remember online friends are still strangers even if you have been talking to them for a long time.

Don’t give out personal information when you’re chatting or posting online. Personal information includes your email address, phone number and password.

Someone online might lie about who they are and information on the internet may not be true. Always check information by looking at other websites, in books, or with someone who knows. If you like chatting online it’s best to only chat to your real world friends and family.

Children and vulnerable adults can be contacted by bullies and people who want to groom/radicalise or seek to abuse them.

Use the tools provided by online services to manage your digital footprints and ‘think before you post.’ Content posted online can last forever and could be shared publicly by anyone.

Understand how to report to service providers and use blocking and deleting tools. If something happens that upsets you online, it’s never too late to tell someone.

Don’t be pressured into doing something you know is wrong. If it’s something you wouldn’t tell your friends and family about, it’s probably not something you should be doing!

Age-inappropriate or unreliable content can be available to children.

Accepting emails, messages, or opening files, images or texts from people you don’t know or trust can lead to problems – they may contain viruses or unpleasant messages!

Tell a parent, carer or a trusted adult if someone, or something, makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if you or someone you know is potentially being radicalised online.

Use safety tools on social networks and other online services, eg Facebook privacy settings.

Children may be at risk because of their own behaviour, for example, by sharing too much information.

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