Republished school blog

A media awareness campaign aimed at teens informs students on privacy and the Internet (Media Awareness Network)

Across the pond, Ins@fe is reminding you to: “think B4 U Post,” on the 2010 Safer Internet Day.

The Internet awareness event happens each February. It primarily targets youth, promotes the safer use of online technology. February 9, marked the fourth annual event, created by Ins@fe, a European network co-founded by the Safer Internet Programme.

In Canada, The Canadian Centre for Child Protection has launched a similar campaign called Respect Yourself.
Safer Internet Day reminds users to brush up on privacy policies in regards tog their own Internet use. The popular social networking site Facebook, released a new set of privacy policies in December.

Media education specialist, Matthew Johnson, encourages teachers to discuss online privacy settings, before they even enter the realm of social networks through a series of lessons. The lessons are an example of initiatives funded by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to ensure youth understand the impact of the Internet on their personal privacy.

Tips on how to protect your privacy online:

• Think before you post anything online
• Pay attention to the privacy settings on sites such as Facebook
• Protect your identity by keeping personal information private
• Think about who can access what you are posting
• Know who your online “friends” are

Additional Links:
10 New Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know
my privacy. my choice. my life.
Facebook’s New Privacy Policy