DigitalMe is in the early stages of piloting Safe Secondary; The Certificate in Safe Social Networking for key stages 3 and 4, where students will learn through teaching their peers and creating their own social media project.

One question which stayed with us throughout the development of Safe Secondary is:

How can you teach e-safety to young people with high levels of digital literacy? 

This question inspired the decision to include peer education as an important element of the programme.

A priority during our Safe Secondary Pilot Day was to discuss peer education with young people and gather their opinions on the subject. Watch the video to find out what they think about teaching online safety and social media skills to their peers.

For more information about Safe Secondary visit www.safesocialnetworking.org/secondary

Safe is Funded by the Nominet Trust.

In 2011, we interviewed young people (aged 13-18) about their views on
e-safety education, reputation management and career opportunities using their social media expertise.

This research highlighted three challenges:

- How to teach e-safety to young people with a high level of digital literacy

- How to ensure that children transitioning from primary to secondary get a foundation in basic social networking safety education

- How to make the connection between students using social media and their future career opportunities

We are in the early stages of designing the Safe Secondary Programme which will enable students to learn about safe social networking through practical activities such as teaching their peers and creating their own social media project.

To help us, we want to know how your school is using social media. Do you have a Facebook page? Do your students blog? Would you like to use social media more in lessons?

Leave a comment below and let us know how you are using social media.

For more information about Safe Secondary visit www.safesocialnetworking.org/secondary 

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The Facebook hack threat today, whether it is a hoax (most likely) or a statement of intent from a breakaway faction within the Anonymous hacker group, raises the question of online privacy again.

The issues highlighted by the “November 5^th hacker group” announcement are surely a symptom of continued doubts about what social network platforms are doing with user data they collect.

Indeed, some stories suggest that this was the intention of the apparent hoax. Whatever transpires, it reminded us of the difficulty of understanding privacy settings on Facebook and also the story last year about iPhones and the social platform.

According to the Guardian article, if you have “a friend on Facebook who has used the iPhone app version to access the site, then it's very possible that your private phone numbers - and those of lots of your and their friends - are on the site”. The reason is that Facebook's "Contact Sync" feature synchronises your friends' Facebook profile pictures with the contacts in your phone.

Of course, the worries over online privacy were intensified by comments attributed to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg suggesting the “The Age of Privacy” was over. While he later said that the comments were taken out of context, he made further statements at the Paris  e-G8 Forum in May which shows he believes that Facebook users “eventually get over their anxieties about privacy”.

For the DigitalME team, though, the doubts over protecting user data and privacy remain. They are particularly important when you consider that many under-13s will be connecting unofficially on Facebook through their mobile phones. The synch feature on Facebook does open up by default the potential, with a warning, for strangers’ contact details to be linked to your account via Facebook's Phonebook app.

Here's How to Remove the Facebook Phonebook Feature

And, do you know how to alter your privacy settings on Facebook? Below is our quick guide to taking more control of how you engage through the social platform:

First, log on to your Facebook account and scroll down to the bottom of your account page. You will see (in teeny type) the word “Privacy” in the bottom of page menu. Click on that and you will go to the Privacy Settings page.

This is what it looks like:

Here you can make decisions about levels of privacy on your account. It’s worth clicking through the options before you make you decision. Remember, you can always change these settings at any time so don’t be too worried about your first choices.

When you have set the levels of privacy and engagement on this page, you can click on the “Connecting on Facebook “ link at the top of the page and you will go to this page:

Here you can add more levels of privacy and engagement so again, click through the page to see the settings options.

That’s about it in terms of controlling your settings and with the right selection of choices, you can help to manage how you are seen online and who you engage with.

We think that the Privacy Settings process on Facebook is complex - and we know our way around the web. For parents, teachers, young people and children (on Facebook unofficially) there is a degree of understanding needed that they might not have.

It’s more important than ever to push for simplified settings and more guidance around controlling privacy on Facebook and other social platforms.

Facebook continues to address privacy issues and also is supportive of our Facebook Age Debate, which is growing rapidly. You can add your views and vote for or against allowing under-13s on Facebook officially. If you have a strong point of view that you would want to share through a guest blog post, then just email us at safe@digitalme.co.uk and we’ll work with you on that.

You can also ask our expert legal mind, Robert Bond of Speechlys any questions you have around protecting your child online and what the privacy laws are. Read Robert’s blog post and post your questions there.

Making the social web a safer place for children and young people is our mission and the new concerns around Facebook user privacy only underline how essential it is to teach them how to engage safely and positively online. That also includes teaching the parents and the teachers. Join the Age Debate and make your vote count towards building a safer, child-friendly Internet.

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Online safety and privacy belong on the same coin. How are we to protect our under-13s from dark forces, the predators and bullies as well as the people who just love to know everything about our children – so they can sell all kinds of ideas and stuff to them.

We do need sound advice from people who live and breathe in the socio-legal waters around these issues in the UK – and further afield.

That means asking ourselves questions about online privacy and having these discussed, answered and developed. We asked Robert Bond, expert in international privacy law to help and he kindly agreed so please do put your concerns and questions to him via comment at the end of this blog post. That way everyone should benefit.

At DigitalME, we know that what drives the value of social media is, in a word, data. Our search histories, social networking interactions, location, web visits and cookies feed algorithms which in turn connect us to others, shape our search results and enable advertisers to target us with ‘super niche’ adverts in webmail, social media spaces and websites we visit.

For this very reason, some people argue that social media is corrosive, effectively eroding our privacy in ways that we do not fully understand. This argument leads to campaigns for tighter restrictions. On the opposite side of the debate, others point towards the potential of social learning and ‘The Semantic Web’ which will require an even greater flow of data and perhaps a redefinition of how we view privacy to enable computers to use our data to enrich our lives and our learning.

What if the same industrial efforts were invested into learning, enabling children to discover super niche information to enrich their investigations and engage in social learning with other students internationally? Imagine how much more fluid, relevant and motivating this form of learning could be.

Whatever your perspective, as educators if we are to explore the potential of social learning we need to understand the current laws governing data and privacy and how or if we should protect children’s data.

This is where Robert comes in. He is an expert in international privacy law and so can help us untangle the complex lexicon of international law by answering your questions.

We’re inviting all of you – educators, not-for-profits, business people, parents and children – to put your questions to Robert via the comments box at the end of this post and he will respond.

Robert works for Speechly Bircham has more than 30 years’ experience people on of their commercial IP, technology and data protection requirements. He specialises in data, technology and information law and has market-leading expertise in a number of specialist sectors including computer games and digital media where he is an acknowledged industry expert.

If that’s a little scary, try not to worry! Robert has a keen interest in protecting children when they go online and would really enjoy answering any questions you have.

 
The i In Online. Robert Bond Profile

Related Articles for starters:

Facebook Age Debate

How Google personalises everybody’s search results

The Semantic Web

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We know at Childnet from our education outreach work, where we go into to primary and secondary schools across the country, that there are many under 13s on Facebook. Some are using it with and some without their parents consent and guidance, and in our work with parents, we see that many are not aware of the age requirement. Research, such as the EU Kids Online II study, reveal the extent of this under age use, with 1 in 5 9-12s having a Facebook profile, and a significant increase identifiable at the age when children start secondary school at 11.

Does the fact that so many under 13s are using Facebook make it a reason to lower the age requirement? Would lowering or removing this age requirement mean that children would then be honest about the age they declare when they register for the service, and in turn help them to be better protected? Would removing the age requirement make it harder for parents to influence the age their children start using these services? The debate is a useful one to have and helps to focus on the potential benefits and the potential risks of this service to children of a younger age.

The age requirement comes from a US law made prior to the advent of Facebook and social networking that prohibits companies from collecting personal data from under 13s without parental consent. In some ways then, this age requirement can seem a bit arbitrary, as it does not follow an assessment of the suitability of a particular service/s for children of particular ages. And children are different. They develop at different speeds and have different interests, and clearly turning 13 does not mean that a child is automatically able and equipped to use the service safely and responsibly.

As it happens, Facebook, in its current format, is not designed for under 13s. A look at the extent and complexity of the Privacy Settings illustrates this, but also when one looks at online services which are targeted at younger children, you can see features which have been designed to provide a ‘safer’ environment in which children can first engage in such an online community. Such features can include moderation and moderators, and making parental consent a part of the service (and thus being compliant with COPPA, the US law), as well as parental involvement in the choices relating to the service their child is using. To use Tanya Byron’s swimming pool analogy, it is the shallow end, where children are learning how to swim in a more controlled environment, before they start accessing the deep end.

Equipping children to use such services in a way that they can keep themselves safe as well as their peers and others in their community is a vital part of the work we do. Whatever age children start using technology and online services, and this includes social networking, they need to know how to use this safely and responsibly, and with mobile access on an incredible rise, this knowledge becomes ever more important. There are potential risks, and it is important that children and young people are aware and have the skills to navigate these environments and that they know what to do if things go wrong and they feel uncomfortable or in difficulty. This needs to start before children are 13, not just because under 13s are using these services, but because we need to prepare children for these services before they start using them.

Official Facebook Age Debate

Riversdale Pupils interview Will Gardner, CEO of Childnet International

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Young people under the age of 13 are on Facebook already. Shouldn’t the question be about how we can all work together to ensure that those using it, and in particular users who are under 13, are as safe and secure as possible? And contemplate what Facebook for an 11 year old should look like. As parents, educators, charities, industry and young people, we should look to our own unique positions to develop a healthy online environment.

At Beatbullying we are certainly not saying that Facebook should become a ‘free for all'- we have first-hand experience of some of the dangers and problems faced by children and young people in a social networking environment – and we do believe that there should be a lower age limit, and that advances in age verification are needed. However, we also believe that there are a series of actions that we could all take to make the environment safer, and acknowledging that there are under 13s already on Facebook, it’s about time we did something about it. We talk with young people all of the time and we know from our website www.cybermentors.org.uk and from our work in schools, that younger and younger children are using Facebook.

If Mark Zuckerburg is considering lowering the Facebook minimum age, he should be opening a debate as to what this should look like so that it is as safe as it can be for an 11 year old.

We advocate that:

-Facebook should improve its safety centre and safety features and have clearer signposting and reporting mechanisms that are more appropriate to children and young people and designed with and for them.

-Children and young people, and in fact all Facebook users, should be encouraged to be transparent about their age and therefore should receive in response a tailored environment that is age appropriate.

-Children and young people should have default settings to private to minimise exposure and to encourage them to talk to their friends, parents, family and teachers about what kind of information they want to make available and to whom.

-When something goes wrong, children and young people should have ‘friendly’ and easy to use reporting systems where they are clear about what is happening, the timescale for action and what is going to happen next. There should be a commitment from Facebook to act within an agreed timescale once they should receive notification of incidents.

Written by Charlotte Aynsley, Beatbullying Director of Practice

Official Facebook Age Debate

Interview with Charlotte Aynsley by Riversdale Pupils

I can honestly talk all day about Facebook. I Got a A in Speaking and Listening just talking about it. I'm on Facebook all day - I'm a self confessed addict. I just can't live without it.

Mark Zuckerburg - one of the founders - wants to lower the age limit so users under 13 can use it! What is your opinion? Mine is this:

The pros of under 13's using Facebook is that they can contact their friends and talk about stuff they have done today. The can also add family members to their profile and so they can talk to their family more easily and for free. They can talk to their best friend all day long.

The Cons are that Paedophiles may add them posing as someone they aren't then they could meet up with them. They may post picture that the whole world will see. Their parents may not even check what they are doing, meaning they could be easily influenced to what people say to them.

I think that it isn't safe for under 13's to be on facebook, I personally got my facebook when I was 14, my mum wouldn't even let me when I was 13 . She said what if this happens what if that happens. But some parents aren't as protective as others. Its just like letting the whole world know what is happening.

Over one third of 9-12 year olds and three quarters of 13-16 year olds who use the Internet in Europe have their own profile on a social networking site * 70% of 9-12 year old in The Netherlands have a profile on a social networking site.

I think that they should have a mini-facebook which children can join but they're teachers at school must verify so that they can use it . This will stop people who are pretending to be underage. If this happens it should only be allowed to be used by under 13 and when they are 13+ they have the option to deactivate their account or proceed to normal Facebook . This could be like what RADIOWAVES do; they ask teacher to acknowledge all their posts.

If my younger siblings joined facebook at a young age I would advise them to deactivate their account till they were old enough to use it.

But, I think a junior facebook would be a good idea if it was managed properly.
*59% of 9-16 year old Internet users in Europe have an SNS profile.

See Livingstone, S., Haddon, L., Görzig, A., and Ólafsson, K. (2011). Risks and safety on the Internet: The perspective of European children. Full Findings. LSE, London: EU Kids Online.

Blog by Dom, Carr Manor High School

There are a number of positive points about children under the age of 13 to use facebook, for example: Positives: -Talk to friends -Keep in touch with long distance relative -Talk about school work -Its safer for them to use the under 13 version rather then the adult version Negative: -People might create fake profiles -Easily influenced by others -Might meet up with strangers -Give out personal information If they create an under 13 facebook that version of facebook will automatically recognise them as under 13 and so will change their privacy settings so that strangers won't be able to look at personal information and photos I think they should create an under 13 facebook this version should include: -Customize background -More games -Parents could authorise what they do -Make it more interesting so they will have something to do I would be worried if my younger brother/sister had facebook because I personally have it myself and I know the dangers that are out there. Children don't tend to think about what they do online and therefore don't know the danger they could get themselves into. Blog by Rahil, Roundhay High School

The Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, thinks that under 13 year olds should be allowed on facebook and wants to make it that way.

In the UK, 43% of 9 to 12-year-olds have social networking profiles, along with 88% of 13 to 16-year-olds.

Most parents forbid their children to use Facebook, but the children sometimes use it anyway, saying they are older and maybe using a different name so that the parents won't be able to find them.

The pros and cons pf under 13's being on Facebook:

The Pro's:
They can talk to their friends.
Keep in contact with friends that maybe they've lost contact with.
Millions of under 13's are already on facebook, so they should adapt it to be more suitable for them.

The Con's:
Pedophiles could pretend to be younger and use a different name to get in touch with young girls or boys, and get them to meet up with them.
There can be bullying on facebook.
It's not safe.
You never know who you are talking to.

I think it is safe for under 13's to be on facebook because as long as they know what they are doing and they are sensible, no harm can come from it. It could only be dangerous if they let it. For example meeting up with someone they don't know.

I don't think making it official would make much of a difference, just that they could put all their real details on and that could be dangerous. But again, as long as they give out personal information on the web, it's okay.

If there was a different version for under 13's, i don't think many of them would use it. They would just keep on pretending to be older so that they could stay on the 'better' facebook. I don't see how they could make it appealing to under 13's, they would think that they were being treated like baby's.

That's my opinion. What do you think ?
Blog by Ellie, 15, Switzerland