Online Privacy: What It Is and How to Get It

From cell phones to social networks, kids are connecting not just to their friends, but to the world. Chatting online, writing about what they're doing, and posting pictures from the last party is just their way of life. And it's just so much more fun to share these things with 100 (or more) of their closest friends.

But all of this talking and texting leaves a trail of information that can quickly spread further than your kids ever intended -- and last longer than they expect. Whether it's a private text that gets forwarded around school or a photo of your kid partying found by an admissions counselor or potential employer, when it leaves your kid's hands, it's out in the world.

Just about anything that your kids post or text can get copied, pasted, forwarded, searched -- and viewed -- by lots of people your kids (and you) don't know.

And there's someone else interested in what your kids are doing online: marketers. They track the websites your kids visit, what they click on, and even what they write in their emails and post on their social networks.

That's why guarding privacy is one of the most important things to discuss with your kids. Loss of privacy can affect their reputations within their own social circle and with future contacts.

But privacy can be controlled -- or at least managed. It takes a partnership between you and your kids, because you're their ally in helping them protect themselves. Help them understand the importance of selective sharing and keeping their online world confined to the people they really want to share it with.

The facts:

• Ninety-two percent of parents are concerned that kids share too much information online (Common Sense Media/Zogby Intl.)
• Even teens (79 percent) think their friends share too much personal information online (Common Sense Media/Zogby Intl.)
• Three out of four parents say that social networks aren't doing a good job of protecting kids' online privacy (Common Sense Media/Zogby Intl.)
• Companies track kids' online movements (what they click on, what they do, what they buy) on kid-focused sites more aggressively than on sites aimed at adults (The Wall Street Journal)

Five Ways You Can Help Your Kids

1. Use privacy settings. On some social networks, your kid's profile is public -- meaning that anyone on the Internet can find them by searching. But most social networks offer privacy settings that make you unsearchable and let you hide personal information. Review the privacy settings on your kid's social networks, and make sure they use them! Also make sure that kids understand they can protect their privacy by "untagging" any photo of them. Those photos have a way of hanging around the Internet.
2. Don't post your whereabouts. New location-based programs like Facebook Places, Foursquare, and even Twitter let kids "check in" and tell people exactly where they are. When kids broadcast their whereabouts using these location-sharing programs, it not only makes them vulnerable to unwelcome personal contact, but it also gives away a ton of personal information to advertisers.
3. See through advertisers' bait. Online questionnaires, free giveaways, and contests scrape kids' information and use it to market directly to them.
4. Look for the opt-out buttons. When your kids register for a site or download an app, they accept the company's use of their private information. Make sure that kids understand that many companies have "opt-out" policies. That typically means that they'll have to check a box explicitly opting out of being contacted or having their information used by marketers.
5. Check it out yourself. Before letting your kid sign up for anything, make sure you know the facts. Whether it's a new app, a new program feature, or even a ringtone, new things are coming out all the time. Do your homework on whatever it is and who's doing the selling. In this 24/7 world where information is constantly being bought and sold, you can never be too careful.