Does your child play games online?
Research suggests that 1 in 2 parents worry about children’s privacy and security online.
A study conducted by cybersecurity company Surfshark revealed that popular mobile gaming apps collect various information from children, ranging from location to fitness data, and the majority of them use this information for third-party advertising.
According to Surfshark’s research, widely-used Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and Pokemon are a few of the most data-hungry mobile gaming apps.
According to the Internet Matters “Parenting Generation Game” survey, one out of every two parents worry about their children’s personal data being collected by the online gaming industry.
Although many gaming apps are free, instead of collecting money from users, they collect personal information and sell it to third-party companies.
Two out of every five parents also worry about the amount of advertising their child is exposed to when playing mobile games.
As the vulnerability of children’s well-being online grows, cybersecurity expert Aleksandr Valentij shares 5 tips on how to talk about cybersecurity with your kids:
Discuss internet safety.
Use child-friendly educational sources like interactive cartoons. Educate children to avoid sharing personal information, photos, and videos online. Ensure your child knows what is safe to do online and what is not.
Build trust.
Let your child know they can approach you with questions or concerns. Create a trusting, respectful environment by encouraging children to tell a parent or trusted adult if they encounter a cyberthreat.
Use cybersecurity tools.
Use the right tools to help keep them safe (e.g., antivirus, VPN, content blocker, ad blocker, etc.). Help your child run regular scans together with firewalls and email filters to further decrease the risks, such as ransomware.
Change passwords.
If the password for your child’s email or gaming platform gets leaked, help your child change it immediately. It would be even better to use password managers to generate new passwords and avoid using weak ones.
Set up internet rules.
Adjust privacy settings and use parental controls for online games, apps, social media sites, and other websites. Keep your computer in an open area and consider setting screen time limits on all devices.
