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Safety Information for users
Safety Information for parents
Useful Safety links
Protecting your privacy
Stay in control - guard your privacy
Social networking sites are used mostly to connect with friends you know in the real world. So you might not think about strangers getting hold of your personal information, such as your mobile number, email address or where you live. But it is important to think about the information you post on your page and on other people's.
- Before setting up your profile, think about who you want to see your personal information.
- Choose between the three visibility settings for your preferred level of privacy
- If you don't want strangers to see information about you - set your profile visibility to “Can only be seen by people in my network”. Every now and again, look through the members in your network and make sure you still want them to know your personal details.
- For anyone under 16 your profile will automatically be private and cannot be seen by anyone until you turn 16.
- Fine tune your privacy setting using the privacy tab in your profile preferences. You can switch bits of personal information on and off to increase your privacy.
- People you know could use something you have posted against you, for example to bully you or to damage your reputation. Think very carefully about what you share with your friends.
- It is important to protect your password - don't give it to your friends even for fun. If you give it to them, you just can't be sure who they might pass it on to.
- Make sure that you register your real age so that other people don't think you are older than you are and treat you in a way that is inappropriate.
'Going public'
If you intend to share your profile and content with everyone who is online by selecting “Can be seen by anyone”, there are several things to think about.
- Be cautious - 'going public' may lead to things you didn't mean to happen. Be careful about the kind of information (including images) you share about yourself and how you manage your online reputation. Other people can pass on or change your information and you might not be able to stop them or delete it afterwards.
- Remember, when you 'go public', it is not just 'friends of friends of friends' but also complete strangers who will be able to see your content, search and find you online.
- IdeasTap has three self-explanatory visibility settings:
- “Can be seen by anyone” – This includes people who are not registered members of IdeasTap. This means anyone can view your content and your public details but only registered members of IdeasTap can post comments on your work or profile or contact you.
- “Can only be seen by IdeasTap registered members” - only people who are registered members of IdeasTap can view your profile and your content. All registered IdeasTap members can make contact with you or comment on you profile.
- “Can only be seen by people in my network” – Only members who you have added to your network can see your profile and your content.
- “Private” – This setting is only for members under 18, this setting means you and your content cannot be seen by any other users of the site
- If you are under 16 you will be automatically set to “private” you cannot change your visibility setting until you are 16 at which point you will be able to set your visibility to “Can only be seen by people in my network”
- If you are 16-17 you can only set your profile to “Private” or “Can only be seen by people in my network”
- If you are 18 or over you can set your profile to “Can be seen by anyone”, “Can only be seen by people in my network” or “Can only be seen by people in my network”.
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Uploading content
One of the best things about IdeasTap is that you can 'upload' your content to your portfolio - including images, videos and music that you have created yourself. This can be a lot of fun. But again, there are some things to think about before you do this.
- Remember, the World Wide Web is available to everyone, and if your profile is public, everyone can see everything you post about yourself and your friends.
- Be aware of how your content could be used or misused by others. For example, pictures can be copied, or altered and posted elsewhere. You may not even know this has happened. And if you do find out about it, you may not be able to stop it or remove it.
Guard your online reputation
- Information you post will reflect the kind of person you are, and it will influence what others think of you. What is your content saying about you?
- Think carefully before uploading content and sharing information that shows you or your friends in a compromising situation - for example images of friends drinking at a party.
- Don't post images of yourself posing in a sexual or provocative way. These can cause you a lot of embarrassment or upset if misused by others in a way you didn't anticipate, and could attract a lot of unwanted and unwelcome inappropriate contact.
- Also, ask your friends first, if they are identified in the content. Protect your friends and family: they have reputations too!
- It important to understand that you are not anonymous online . You can be traced even if you gave a fake email account and registration information. Every computer and device connected to the Internet has a unique address (given by your Internet service provider). This is linked to your computer in the real world - to your real-world address. The police, and some others, can access this address, and it is linked to every communication you send online.
Consider your friends
- Remember that what may seem funny to you can actually can be very hurtful and offensive to others - so 'think before you post' comments on other people's profiles.
- Don't post content that may be seen as racist, homophobic, bullying or threatening. Remember, these sorts of behaviours could result in your account being deleted by IdeasTap, and the police may even get involved.
- Try not to bring disagreements or arguments with people that you know in real life into the IdeasTap community.
- Setting up a fake page to pose as someone else may seem a clever way to embarrass the person you are impersonating. But this can have very serious consequences - to the other person and, in fact, to yourself, as the police may become involved.
- Remember to be a good friend and, if your friends are behaving inappropriately, remind them that they are not anonymous and can be traced.
Copyright - get permission
- Copyright is the protection given to authors (of writing, images, video or music). It protects them from other people copying their work without permission. It is important to respect this.
- If you download or copy something from the Internet without permission, there can be serious consequences, including from the police.
- You can use a Creative Commons licence to make your own creative work freely available to others. For example, you can change your copyright terms from 'all rights reserved' to 'some rights reserved'. See http://creativecommons.org .
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Blocking users
You can block a user at any time by going to their profile and clicking the left hand button 'Block this person' See screen shot below. Once you have blocked a user they will not be able to see your profile, send you a message or post comments to your profile. You will still be able to see the blocked user but they will not see you. Remember if your visibility is set to “Can be seen by anyone” You will only be hidden from this user if they are logged in. You may want to consider increasing your privacy by changing your visibility to “Can only be seen by IdeasTap registered members”
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Anywhere across the site where users are able to post content you are given the ability to report that content to the IdeasTap Editor. This includes profiles, comments board, portfolios, events, groups, and forum posts. If you see any inappropriate content anywhere across the site click on the report button. See screenshots below. A report will instantly be sent to the IdeasTap Editor who will go and have a look at the reported content. If the content is considered to be inappropriate, offensive or threatening the editor will remove it.
Reporting Comments
Reporting abuse
Just don't take it! - Reporting abuse and seeking advice and help
If problems or difficulties happen on IdeasTap, use the tools provided on the service to block users , report problems to the IdeasTap Editor , or report abuse . You wil be linked to the Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre (CEOP) - www.ceop.gov.uk .
- Remember, arranging to meet someone that you have only met online is dangerous, and it is safer not to do so. Only do so with your parent's or carer's permission, take a trusted adult with you, and meet in a public place.
- If someone else's behaviour online makes you feel that you or someone else is in immediate danger, you should act urgently and contact the police.
- To report potential illegal behaviour online, particularly if someone approaches you in a sexual way: click on the report abuse button above that will automatically link you to the Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre (CEOP) - http://www.ceop.gov.uk .
- Speak to an adult or friend that you trust if you are unsure about anything. It is always good to seek advice or help if anything makes you feel scared or uncomfortable.
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Making a complaint
You can make a complaint using our contact us section. All complaints are taken very seriously by IdeasTap and we strongly recommend that you report any inappropriate content or conduct on the IdeasTap site as soon as you encounter it.
If you need to report abuse you can do so immediately by clicking on the image below and you will automatically linked to the Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre (CEOP) http://www.ceop.gov.uk .
Your responsibilities
Respect the online community
- People online love interactions that are interesting, funny and witty; this contributes to making the Internet entertaining for everyone. There are also some ways to show your respect for other people online.
- Respect what other people contribute and the time and effort they have put into creating and sharing content.
- The Internet is a very public place, so personal disagreements can quickly get out of control. This may result in public humiliation, hurt or distress beyond what you ever intended.
- If you realise that someone else is having problems - for example receiving threats, bullying or nasty behaviours - try not to make things worse. Report the situation to IdeasTap using the 'Reporting Comments' function, by Contacting IdeasTap or report abuse . You will be automatically linked to the Child Exploitation Online Protection centre, www.ceop.org.uk.
Cancelling your account
If you would like to cancel your account you can do so by sending a request to this email address: info@ideastap.com
Safety information for parents
Become familiar with social networking and user interactive sites
- You should not be afraid to become involved in your children's online activities. IdeasTap should be easy to examine and evaluate, and children are best protected when they communicate with their parents or carers.
- You should become familiar with IdeasTap and pay particular attention to:
- the terms and conditions of the site (i.e. the rules for using the service), but particularly to what is acceptable behaviour or not on the service.
- the age requirement to register for the service, for example IdeasTap is suitable only for children 13 years and over;
- the safety advice that is provided on IdeasTap for the user; and
- the safety tools on the service, including:
- user profiles - view user profiles to check what personal information is published;
- privacy controls -
- Members under 16 will be automatically set to “private”
- Members between 16 and 17 can only set their profile to “Private” or “Can only be seen by people in my network”
- Members 18 or over can set their profile to “Can be seen by anyone”, “Can only be seen by people in my network” or “Can only be seen by people in my network”
- Reporting concerns - familiarize yourself with how users can contact or report any difficulties they are having to IdeasTap See Report Abuse , Make a complaint .
- Teach children the importance of registering their correct age to ensure that the safety protection tools provided for those under the age of 18 are applied to them so they get the most appropriate content and experience.
- Familiarise yourself with the features the site has on offer, such as creating a profile, creating a portfolio, blogging, joining groups, posting videos and photos.
- Remind your child to review their groups and their group members on a regular basis to make sure they want to share their information with everyone in the group.
- Negotiate with your child to visit and view all their profiles on IdeasTap; some children have a version for their parents and another for their friends.
- Discuss with your child the mechanisms available to them to manage their profile. All users can change their privacy settings, block users and report abuse, and have the option to cancel their account.
Striking a balance
- Children and young people have strong views about their privacy and it will be important for you to help your child to use IdeasTap responsibly and safely, while respecting their privacy.
- There is an important balance between educating children and young people about the risks online, viewing what they are doing and actually trusting them in their use of social networking sites and allowing them a degree of autonomy.
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Guarding privacy
- It is critical that children and young people understand the importance of protecting their privacy online.
- Talk to your child about the importance of keeping the password to their account or space private to protect against someone taking control of it.
- Ensure that your child is aware of the privacy setting options of their account. It is important that you negotiate with your child the appropriate level of privacy and that it matches their level of emotional maturity and understanding.
- Advise your child to be careful not to share any information that may help locate them in the real world. For example, a photograph of a school uniform or street sign.
Managing personal images and video postings
The use and sharing of images and videos has proliferated online, especially on social networking and video-sharing sites. Images and videos can be loaded from cameras and mobile phones. Some mobile devices enable users to upload images and videos directly to social networking sites.
- It is very important that children and young people consider and choose carefully what they share online with friends and the wider community on the Internet, especially as photos can be easily copied and changed.
- The convenience of mobile phones means it is easy to upload images and videos 'on the go'. Particular care should be taken to 'think before you post' to avoid compromising privacy or safety, for example images from a party or of outrageous or compromising behaviour. If a child is posting photos containing their friends, for example, they should seek their friends' permission first.
- Photos and videos can contain information that on its own may seem innocuous, but when put together with other information such as school details can be used to locate and identify the child.
- Photos and videos should be appropriate - not sexually provocative or explicit - so as not to attract unwanted attention from adults who may wish to exploit children and young people.
- Check the 'acceptable use' policy of this site and other user interactive sites. IdeasTap will remove explicit and 'inappropriate' images when they are brought to the Editors attention.
- Ask your child whether they are comfortable with the content they are posting being seen by everyone they know and whether it might embarrass them at a later stage.
Many young people go to great lengths in building their profiles and webpages, so receiving comments from the wider community can be exciting, compelling and is expected.
- It is important that children and young people understand the need to be responsible in what they post and contribute to other people's social networking sites - 'think before you post' is a good maxim.
- There have been some incidents of bullying - often among known friends or peers on social networking sites - where bullying in the playground has continued and possibly escalated online. The potential to humiliate and harass individuals through comments and by posting images can be extremely hurtful and have a number of unintended consequences, such as spreading very quickly to a much larger audience online. It is important to set rules with your child about what is OK and not OK to post about anyone known or unknown.
- Emphasise to your child that once a comment or a posting is made, it may not be possible to take it back. It is also important to be aware that what may be sent or posted as a joke, may not be taken in that way. When a message is posted to or about someone, the sender cannot see the impact that their words or images have on the other person.
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Managing your teenager's flirtatious behviour
It is important to discuss and establish boundaries with your child from an early age, about flirting online, especially when your child begins to show an interest in and is beginning to use interactive services.
- Teenagers may engage in flirting or sexual exploration online, and it is important to discuss the need for boundaries in relationships even with known boyfriends and girlfriends.
- You should discuss, and emphasise, particularly with older teenagers, the dangers of flirting with people they have first met online. As some people lie about who they are, you never really know who you are interacting with or talking to.
Meeting in person with people first met online
Meeting people in the real world who are only known online is not new or particular to social networking or user interactive sites. Children and young people often assume that those people they have spent time interacting with online are real friends and therefore safe to meet. However, great caution should be applied.
- It is important for children and young people to think very carefully before agreeing to meet anyone they have met online and agree that any such meetings should be approved by their parents or carers.
- You should ensure that any meetings take place in public and with trusted adults present.
- It is important to address and consider the possibility of your child being involved in organised 'gang' or rivalry meetings in the real world, which can be arranged online.
- It is also important to recognise that there are online groups and communities where children and young people meet that can be educational and fun.
Getting help and reporting abuse
- It is critical to maintain an ongoing dialogue and have regular conversations with your child about anything that is worrying them or has happened online.
- If you suspect that your child or another child is being solicited online or is being 'groomed' by someone with a sexual interest in children, it is important to report it to the appropriate authorities.
- Preserving the evidence of any abusive or potentially illegal communication is important. This evidence can be helpful if you need to report to the child's school, the service provider or to the police. If you have any copies of communications, images, messages or other content related to the solicitation of a child, it is important to save them and pass them to law enforcement agencies.
- It is very important that both you and your child understand how to report anything that might be inappropriate or illegal either to the service provider, law enforcement or other designated agency.
- You can report potentially illegal behaviour online. You will be automatically linked to the Child Exploitation Online Protection centre, www.ceop.org.uk .
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