Protecting your personal information is getting harder everyday as more and more gadgets and toys offer the option of going online. Even that new stuffed dog you got for your birthday last week may have come with a code that allows you to go online and play with other kids!

And we know you love the tools that bring you online – you go there to connect with friends and make new ones, to buy products, listen to music, watch videos, play games, learn – the list goes on and on.

Since you love technology so much we think it’s only fair that we offer you new ways to  protect your information. Today, we’ve posted a new “creative guide” to our youth site, that offers information and discussion ideas for 12 privacy issues – such as the reason you should pay attention to privacy settings; how keeping personal information private can protect you from identity theft; how to be careful on online gaming sites; what to do if your parents are your friends on Facebook (and you don’t really want them there); how to stay safe on online dating sites; and why you should avoid sexting all together!

We’re also looking for some young bloggers so send us an e-mail if you’d like to talk about some of these topics! Also, stay tuned for the winning videos of our latest youth video contest – we had some really awesome submissions!

There are many ways to grab someone’s attention. Some girls tend to flash a smile, bat their eyelashes, or maybe even throw in a couple compliments to their crush. However, there is a new type of flirting going around that is being widely discussed and debated in the media. Sexting is the sending of revealing and/or seductive pictures to others using a cell phone. Many media outlets are saying that sexting is becoming a rising concern in schools. The Pew Research Center has recently published a research paper surrounding this topic which has shown that 4% of youths aged 12-17 have sent a sext message, and 15% have received a sext.

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection, along with the Canadian Wireless Communications Association, just announced that they have launched a program in 100 schools across Canada that aims to educate grade 7 students about the potential cost of their online actions, as well as the effects of textual harassment and ‘text luring’. These two groups expect that the program will encourage appropriate texting behaviour among teens. The course consists of three lesson plans from textED.ca and is a preventative tool that teachers can implement in their classrooms.

Programs like this are a good sign that of concrete actions that are being taken to encourage proper online behaviour among young people. Many young people don’t understand that once they send a picture – even to a loved one – they run the risk of that photo being made public. It is so easy for the person who receives the photo to send it to others, or to post it on the Internet without the sender’s knowledge or consent. During a nasty break-up, a life can be ruined with the push of a button that results in a revealing picture being plastered online. Once something is posted on the Internet, there is no limit to who can see it – friends, family, future employers – the list goes on and on – and this can leave a humiliating mark on a reputation.

Recently, there have been more and more court cases surrounding the issue of “sexting” and involving young people who post pictures that weren’t meant for public consumption. One Texas teenager spent the night in a juvenile detention centre after a provocative picture that was texted to him was found by his football coach. In some states, a teen convicted of sexting is forced to register as a sex offender for 10 years or more, even if they see no jail time. And while there are negative consequences for the people who receive or distribute sexts without consent, there are also serious psychological consequences for the person whose picture is being circulated. In many cases, the sexts are spread fairly quickly and can lead to harassment and bullying.

Nude pictures of anyone under the age of 18 are considered to be child pornography, but people of all ages should be careful about sending revealing pictures. Those who take these pictures, even if you took them of yourself, are subject to the law. Also, the people who receive the pictures can be charged with possession of child pornography. So if you really like someone and you want to show them, telling them is a far better alternative to “sexting” and will definitely not result with you and your crush/partner sporting matching orange jumpsuits!

There are many social networking sites that allow you to put your information out there for the world to see. However, it is becoming increasingly popular to share location information with your friends using cell phone applications. It’s important to realize that your information is not always protected, and this technology can put you in danger if your location falls into the hands of the wrong person. When using these applications, make sure you know the person who is accessing your profile and they are someone you can trust with this information.

The people at Loopt helped start this location sharing trend in 2006 and are now the leading company in this area. They’ve made it possible for cell phone users to share their status, photos and location using GPS-enabled cell phones. Users are able to request alerts when friends are close, send messages to friends in a particular area, and tag or blog physical locations to friends. People using Loopt can also take pictures from their cell phones and tag them; these pictures will be available to friends and others on the Loopt network.

Gowalla is another location-based social network, but uses game mechanics to motivate its users to go places, participate in activities and meet up with friends. Players use a GPS device from their smartphone to check in at various places. The application allows individuals to share their location information with friends, and leave comments about the places they visit. They get rewarded for their travels by earning iconic stamps for visiting different locations. Check-ins and trips can be shared on the web through Facebook, Twitter or the Gowalla website.

A similar application to Gowalla is Foursquare, which enables the user to “check-in” and tell friends where they are. When a user checks-in someplace, their friends are notified about where they can find the user. Foursquare can send the user recommendations about interesting places to visit, or nearby activities they can participate in. People can check-in to places such as cafes, bars, restaurants, parks, homes, or even the office. It is a way to meet up with friends and learn about their favorite spots, or even discover new places you never knew about. Every check-in earns you points, and when you start checking-in to more interesting places with different people, you start unlocking badges. If you return to a location often, you can even become mayor of that location. There are some benefits to being a mayor, and some places give out free stuff and coupons as a reward for your loyalty.

This is neat technology, but you should always be careful about how much information you share. If you don’t want a certain person or people to know about your location, you probably shouldn’t be adding them as a friend on Loopt. In order to protect your location information and yourself, you should be wary of people who you include as your friends. Never include someone you don’t know or don’t know well. And always be wary of people who are not your friends that want to know your location – they most likely have ulterior motives. With these safety considerations you can have fun and stay in the Loopt!

The deadline for our 2009 My Privacy & Me National Video Competition has passed. This year’s contest was a huge success. Does privacy matter to you? We think so! We received over 100 submissions from all across Canada!
 
Because of the growing popularity of the contest, we have decided to present awards in four different categories (as opposed to last year where we had the students judge all videos together in one category). The categories this year are: live action; animation; French video; and junior (for entrants who are between 12 and 14 years of age).
 
Once again, we will be hosting an event with the students at Encounters with Canada to pick the winners. This event will be happening in early March. More participation also means more prizes. How exciting is that?! There will be first, second and third-place prizes in each category!
 
Thank you for your participation and thanks to all the teachers who encouraged their students to participate and provided them with the support they needed to create awesome videos.

Plan ahead – if you are interested in participating in the contest, and have something to say about personal privacy, we will be launching our 2010 contest in the spring!
 
Stay tuned in following weeks to watch the winning videos from our 2009 contest.

Do you have toys and gadgets on your wish list this holiday? A stuffed toy or a cell phone or camera? Chances are you do because these days these toys and gadgets are more than they used to be. Just a few years ago a stuffed animal was something to cuddle with and a phone was, well, just a phone! Now, many stuffed animals come with codes that allow you to register them online so you can play games, feed and care for them, and even chat and play with other kids. And many cell phones are phones, computers and cameras, all in one.

And while such toys and gadgets can be fun, we want you to enjoy them without putting your privacy and personal information at risk.

Here are our tips for protecting your privacy as you enjoy your new gadgets and toys:

Think before you click – The Internet is a public arena, and photos and comments you post are permanent. Even if you delete them from a web page, they could continue to exist in archived pages, in your computer’s cache or on the computers of other Internet users who may have copied them. If you don’t want certain people to see something, now or in the future, don’t post it!

Pick and protect the perfect password – Your information is only as safe as your passwords. Use different passwords for different systems; make sure they are strong (eight characters or more and a variety of letters or numbers); never share them with anybody; and change them regularly.

Know your friends – Online, you can’t be 100 per cent sure who you are talking to. Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know in real life.

Protect your identity – Identity theft is a growing problem and the Internet is the least private of spaces. Don’t post or e-mail personal details such as your social insurance number, phone number, home address or birth date.

Be careful on online gaming sites – Online gaming sites are hotbeds of people accessing personal information. Be aware that ill-intentioned people can use information from your profile to establish accounts in your name, or use your stolen identity to access your existing accounts.

Be wary of e-mail or instant messages from unknown people – Don’t open online messages that seem odd or are from someone you don’t know. They could contain a virus or let a hacker gain access to your computer.

Have a happy holiday and enjoy all your new toys!

We’re not talking about the number of days left until Christmas, but the deadline for the 2nd edition of the My Privacy and Me National Video Contest.

There’s only one week left! We are really looking forward to receiving your videos. You never cease to surprise us with the high-quality content of your public service announcements, and your creativity and diversity.

Reminder

-Deadline: December 11, 2009
-Public service announcement on privacy protection aimed at youth
-Length: 60–120 seconds
-Recording or animation
-Prizes to be won!

You can send us your entry online at video@priv.gc.ca, or submit it by mail, burned onto a DVD. Don’t forget to also submit your entry form. If you are sending it by mail, mail your entry to:

My Privacy and Me
c/o Office of the Privacy Commissioner
112 Kent St.
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 1H3

Visit the mycontest section of our Web site for more information.

Don’t wait, get rolling!

When I received a friend request from my mother on Facebook, my first reaction was to go through all the information on my profile: the messages on my wall, my status updates, photos, groups, EVERYTHING! I finally realized that there was nothing there that would shock her; there was nothing on my profile that she didn’t already know about my interests and social life. I accepted her request.

When this kind of situation arises, some people automatically refuse the request; others accept, but give their parents limited access. The decision is up to you. You know your parents… and their real intentions

Facebook can be a good thing if it’s used the right way. Increasingly popular, social networking sites allow us to create a second identity, a digital identity that goes beyond who we are physically and how we think of ourselves. It’s a platform that many of us use to reveal ourselves, in the simplest forms, through status updates, the likes and interests listed in our personal information, and photos illustrating our lifestyle. The most important thing to keep in mind is that all this information is public and permanent.

Whether it’s a stranger, your parents, your colleagues or your employer who looks at your profile, you should be comfortable with the information that they can view. If you think that a certain photo or information should not be seen by these people, you should not post it online. Screen what you upload. Using Facebook appropriately will avoid any uneasiness.

If having your parents on Facebook makes you uncomfortable because they are constantly writing messages on your wall and commenting on everything you do, then it’s at your discretion to reject their friend request or give them limited access. I encourage you to visit a site that I found very funny called Oh Crap. My Parents Joined Facebook. It was created by two twenty-something girls who discuss and give examples of the parent child relationship on Facebook. A really interesting concept!

Lastly, just try to use the Internet to your advantage. Adjust your privacy settings and, above all, think before you click.

Today is National Child Day – also the 20^th anniversary of the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention of the Rights of the Child and made privacy a basic human right for everyone under the age of eighteen.

This means that privacy is your right. And with today’s world being so different than it was 20 years ago, this is something you may not think much about. Today, you are videotaped by security cameras almost everywhere you go. You are asked for your postal code or driver’s license when you buy a pair of jeans. You can instant message, update your status, download music, talk to friends on Facebook and play games on your computer with people all around the world. Twenty years ago if someone wanted to get in touch with you they had to phone you or send you a postcard!

Today, it is so easy to forget about privacy and why it’s important. And it’s easy to forget about the risks that are out there if you don’t protect your personal information. These risks can range from nuisance (all those marketers who are looking for people to target their ads to) to serious (from the people on the Internet who are looking for identities to steal, to the predators looking for victims). It’s also easy to forget that when you post comments, photos and videos, online, that information is public and permanent and almost impossible to remove.

So today, on National Child Day, we wanted to remind you that privacy is your right. And today is your day. So take some time to look around youthprivacy.ca. Click through the pages and find out how you can have fun online while protecting this valuable basic human right.

In the world of computer security, the word “phishing” unfortunately doesn’t relate to sitting lazily in a canoe in the middle of a lake, waiting for a whopper to take your bait. What it actually refers to is how criminals attempt to gain access to private or sensitive data (like internet passwords and credit card numbers) by posing as a trustworthy and legitimate organization online. Phishing is very frequently seen in e-mails or instant-messaging. The message will contain a link to a website that looks and feels almost identical to a legitimate one, and it is sometimes very difficult to determine that the website is not genuine.

Many social networking sites have become a prime target for phishing, as these websites contain personal information or details that can be used for identity theft. Criminals will often create a website that looks identical to the homepage of a social networking site to get you to enter your username and password. This information is then sent to the creator of the website and used to hack your account and gain access to all of your information. Criminals might also set up a link in a message within the internal messaging system of the social networking site itself.

There are a few measures you can take to avoid getting “hooked” by phishing websites. First of all, don’t respond to an e-mail asking for personal banking information. This process is rarely ever authentic, and if a bank really does require such personal information, you should call them instead of sending the information online. Authentic companies will not ask their clients for their username or password via e-mail.

Exercise caution with e-mails and personal messages. If you don’t know the sender, try to find out if they are legitimate. Chances are, if something feels “phishy”, it probably is. While many websites have been detected by e-mail servers as potential phishing websites, it is not possible for them to catch every single one.

Protect your computer with spam-filters and anti-virus software, and make sure your firewalls are turned on. These programs are usually helpful in avoiding phishing scams and will help you to detect scams that might be hidden within your computer.

Overall, be cautious and critical of messages from people you don’t know and trust. Never enter personal information online unless you are 100% sure that the website is legitimate and authentic. If you are not sure, it’s a good idea to ask an adult for help.

Good luck, and don’t take the bait!

After reading countless blogs and articles on how important it is to keep your information safe online, you may ask yourself…Is it better to avoid social networking sites all together? This of course is one of the simplest ways to keep your personal information out of the hands of harmful individuals. But can not having an online identity at all be harmful as well?

Not having an online profile, while it may ensure your personal information is safe, could also be detrimental to your chances at a job later in life. “Today’s employers are looking for candidates who have a degree of social media and communications skills as well as an online presence” (National Post). Today’s youth are expected to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to the internet and its communication possibilities. By establishing a presence in social networks and among your friends and colleagues, you show potential employers that you are familiar with how these tools work. Your social networking and e-communication skills may even look good on your resume.

This doesn’t mean that all employers expect you to have a Facebook or Twitter account. There are several other ways to leave your digital footprint, including; writing a blog or posting comments, posting opinions on news articles, creating a specialized website, signing up for a profile on professional networking sites. It goes on and on …

Before you start posting away, keep in mind that no matter what you’re doing on the Internet it’s always important to think carefully about the message you leave behind. The Internet can be a great tool to present yourself to future employers but can also turn out to be the reason for lost job opportunities.