Not all web sites come right out and ask for information. Some sites use tricks that may be obvious to an adult, but look great and appealing to a child. There are many sites that ask if you want to register for prizes, but they want you to give out personal information first. These sites often just want to retrieve information from kids to sell. They know that a child will be attracted to bright colors and prizes.
Many parents wonder what they can do to protect their children's privacy.
It is not good to teach your kids to lie, but using false information online could protect their privacy and keep them out of danger. Tell your children that if they are asked for personal information while on line, they should make up something. Some other tips are to have your computer in the family room instead of in a bedroom. This is so you can shoulder surf or look over your child's shoulder every once and awhile to see what he or she is doing. It is called the Parents' Protection Page and was designed to shield kids from the prying questions of the net.