Pruitt Offers Back To School Internet Safety Tips

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Scott Pruitt issued a warning for kids and parents to be aware of Internet safety as students return to school.

“Many smartphone apps, social media sites and Internet scams can have consequential outcomes for children who do not practice Internet safety,” General Pruitt said. “As these outlets expand, it is essential that parents and caregivers review Internet safety with their children to help prevent them from falling victim to Internet and digital dangers.”

The Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Trade Commission recommend talking to kids of all ages about the importance of digital dangers, including popular apps such as Snapchat that younger adults wrongly assume erases their photos. Children should be aware of the consequences of their actions on the Internet and with their smartphones.

The Attorney General’s Public Protection Unit provides the following Internet safety tips:

• Even the most tech-savvy kids and adults need to understand that not everything they see on the Internet is true, that people on the Internet may not be who they appear to be, that information or images they share can be seen far and wide, and that once something is posted online, it’s almost impossible to “take it back;”
• When very young children start using a computer, they should be supervised closely by a parent or caregiver;
• For children between the ages of 8 and 12, consider keeping the computer in an area where the child has access to you or another adult. That way, they can be “independent,” but not alone.

The Federal Trade Commission’s OnGuardOnline.gov provides specific tips for parents on what to say to kids about Internet safety:

• Remind your kids that online actions can reverberate;
• Explain to your kids why it’s a good idea to post only information that they are comfortable with others seeing;
• Use privacy settings to restrict who can access and post on your child’s profile;
• Know what your kids are doing;
• Talk to your kids about online manners;
• Remind your kids to protect your personal information online;
• Develop smartphone rules.

To report an Internet crime involving children, contact the local police department. To report Internet fraud or for more information on Internet fraud, contact the AG’s Public Protection Unit at (405) 521-2029 or go online at www.oag.ok.gov. For more information about tips and resources, go online to www.ftc.gov.