FTC FACTS for Consumers

FOR THE CONSUMER 1-877-FTC-HELP

ftc.gov FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

Social Networking Sites: 

Safety Tips for

Tweens and Teens 

Y ou’ve probably learned a long list of important safety and privacy lessons already: Look both ways before crossing the street; buckle up; hide your diary 

where your nosy brother can’t find it; don’t talk to strangers.

The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, is urging kids to 

add one more lesson to the list: Don’t post information about yourself online that you don’t 

want the whole world to know. The Internet is the world’s biggest information exchange: 

many more people could see your information than you intend, including your parents, your 

teachers, your employer, the police — and strangers, some of whom could be dangerous.

Social networking sites have added a new factor to the “friends of friends” equation. 

By providing information about yourself and using blogs, chat rooms, email, or instant 

messaging, you can communicate, either within a limited community, or with the world at 

large. But while the sites can increase your circle of friends, they also can increase your 

exposure to people who have less-than-friendly intentions. You’ve heard the stories about 

people who were stalked by someone they met online, had their identity stolen, or had their 

computer hacked.
Facts for Consumers

Your Safety’s at Stake 

The FTC suggests these tips for socializing safely 

online:

•	 Think about how different sites work 

before deciding to join a site. Some sites 

will allow only a defined community of users 

to access posted content; others allow anyone 

and everyone to view postings.

•	 Think about keeping some control over

the information you post. Consider 

restricting access to your page to a select 

group of people, for example, your friends 

from school, your club, your team, your 

community groups, or your family.

•	 Keep your information to yourself. Don’t 

post your full name, Social Security number, 

address, phone number, or bank and credit 

card account numbers — and don’t post other 

people’s information, either.

Be cautious about posting information that 

could be used to identify you or locate you 

offline. This could include the name of your 

school, sports team, clubs, and where you 

work or hang out.

•	 Make sure your screen name doesn’t

say too much about you. Don’t use your 

name, your age, or your hometown. Even 

if you think your screen name makes you 

anonymous, it doesn’t take a genius to 

combine clues to figure out who you are and 

where you can be found.

•	Post only information that you are

comfortable with others seeing — and

knowing — about you. Many people can 

see your page, including your parents, your 

teachers, the police, the college you might 

want to apply to next year, or the job you 

might want to apply for in five years.

•	 Remember that once you post information

online, you can’t take it back. Even if you 

delete the information from a site, older 

versions exist on other people’s computers.

•	 Consider not posting your photo. It can be 

altered and broadcast in ways you may not be 

happy about. If you do post one, ask yourself 

whether it’s one your mom would display in 

the living room.

•	 Flirting with strangers online could have

serious consequences. Because some people 

lie about who they really are, you never 

really know who you’re dealing with.

•	Be wary if a new online friend wants to

meet you in person. Before you decide 

to meet someone, do your research: Ask 

whether any of your friends know the 

person, and see what background you can 

dig up through online search engines. If 

you decide to meet them, be smart about 

it: Meet in a public place, during the day, 

with friends you trust. Tell an adult or a 

responsible sibling where you’re going, and 

when you expect to be back.

•	 Trust your gut if you have suspicions.

If you feel threatened by someone or 

uncomfortable because of something online, 

tell an adult you trust and report it to the 

police and the social networking site. You 

could end up preventing someone else from 

becoming a victim. 
Facts for Consumers

For More Information

To learn more about staying safe online, visit the 

following organizations:

Federal Trade Commission

www.OnGuardOnline.gov

The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive 

and unfair business practices in the marketplace 

and to provide information to help consumers 

spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint 

or get free information on consumer issues, 

visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP 

(1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. 

Watch a new video, How to File a Complaint, 

at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC 

enters consumer complaints into the Consumer 

Sentinel Network, a secure online database and 

investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and 

criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. 

and abroad.

The FTC manages OnGuardOnline.gov, 

which provides practical tips from the federal 

government and the technology industry to help 

you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure 

your computer, and protect your personal 

information.

GetNetWise

www.getnetwise.org

GetNetWise is a public service sponsored by 

Internet industry corporations and public interest 

organizations to help ensure that Internet users 

have safe, constructive, and educational or 

entertaining online experiences. The GetNetWise 

coalition wants Internet users to be just “one click 

away” from the resources they need to make 

informed decisions about their and their family’s 

use of the Internet.

Internet Keep Safe Coalition

www.iKeepSafe.org

iKeepSafe.org, home of Faux Paw the Techno 

Cat, is a coalition of 49 governors/first spouses, 

law enforcement, the American Medical 

Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, 

and other associations dedicated to helping 

parents, educators, and caregivers by providing 

tools and guidelines to teach children the safe and 

healthy use of technology. The organization’s 

vision is to see generations of children worldwide 

grow up safely using technology and the Internet.

i-SAFE

www.i-safe.org

Founded in 1998 and endorsed by the U.S. 

Congress, i-SAFE is a non-profit foundation 

dedicated to protecting the online experiences 

of youth everywhere. i-SAFE incorporates 

classroom curriculum with dynamic community 

outreach to empower students, teachers, parents, 

law enforcement, and concerned adults to make 

the Internet a safer place. Join them today in the 

fight to safeguard children’s online experience.

National Center for Missing and

Exploited Children

www.missingkids.com; www.netsmartz.org

NCMEC is a private, non-profit organization 

that helps prevent child abduction and sexual 

exploitation; helps find missing children; and 

assists victims of child abduction and sexual 

exploitation, their families, and the professionals 

who serve them.
Facts for Consumers

1-877-FTC-HELP FOR THE CONSUMER

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ftc.gov

May 2006

Federal Trade Commission

Bureau of Consumer Protection

Division of Consumer and Business Education

National Crime Prevention Council

www.ncpc.org; www.mcgruff.org

The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) 

is a private, nonprofit organization whose 

primary mission is to enable people to create 

safer and more caring communities by addressing 

the causes of crime and violence and reducing 

the opportunities for crime to occur. Among 

many crime prevention issues, NCPC addresses 

Internet Safety with kids and parents through 

www.mcgruff.org and public service advertising 

under the National Citizens’ Crime Prevention 

Campaign — symbolized by McGruff the Crime 

Dog® and his “Take A Bite Out Of Crime®.”

National Cyber Security Alliance

www.staysafeonline.org

NCSA is a non-profit organization that provides 

tools and resources to empower home users, 

small businesses, and schools, colleges, and 

universities to stay safe online. A publicprivate partnership, NCSA members include the 

Department of Homeland Security, the Federal 

Trade Commission, and many private-sector 

corporations and organizations.

staysafe

www.staysafe.org

staysafe.org is an educational site intended to help 

consumers understand both the positive aspects of 

the Internet as well as how to manage a variety of 

safety and security issues that exist online.

Wired Safety

www.wiredsafety.org

WiredSafety.org is an Internet safety and help 

group. Comprised of unpaid volunteers around 

the world, WiredSafety.org provides education, 

assistance, and awareness on all aspects of 

cybercrime and abuse, privacy, security, and 

responsible technology use. It is also the parent 

group of Teenangels.org, FBI-trained teens and 

preteens who promote Internet safety.