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!

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.