Facebook - Privacy checks and third party apps

In the wake of news about Cambridge Analytica and Facebook, many people are considering how their personal data is used and stored on Facebook, including how third party apps can have access to your profile and personal information.

We recommend that you regularly check the apps that are linked to your Facebook account and encourage your children to do the same. Here we provide some practical steps you can take.

How can I see what third party apps have access to my data?

Within your Facebook settings you are able to see which apps are connected to your account. In these settings you can see which parts of your profile and information these apps can access, and also if they have access to your friends’ information. You are able to select which information you would like these apps to access and also disable certain accesses. You can also remove the app completely from your Facebook account if you no longer use it or if you are unhappy with the data that it has access to. You will need to contact the app developer to ask them to delete any information they may have kept about you.

To see which apps have access to your data:

• In your web browser: Click or tap the triangle at the top right of Facebook.com, then select Settings, and click Apps.
• On Android: Tap the three-line button at the top right of the Facebook app. Here you select Account settings and then Apps.
• On iOS (Apple devices): Tap the three-line button (bottom right of Facebook’s app), then select Settings, and go to Account Settings. Finally, select Apps.

We would recommend that you unlink any Facebook apps that you no longer use from your account. Apps can access your public profile, your email address and your friend list and any information your friends choose to make public unless you disable this access.

You can also modify app visibility, so you can adjust if your friends can see if you use an app or not.

What checks can I do?

See where you are logged in

You are able to see which devices are currently logged into your Facebook account and which locations these are in, this is done on the Security and Login settings page. This page is also where you can change your password, enable two factor authentication and opt in to encrypted email notifications.

Control what information is public

The Privacy settings page shows who can see your Facebook profile information, including posts you’ve made or things that you are tagged in, it also allows you to review friend requests, friends list, email, phone number, and decide if your profile can be found in search engines such as Google.

See what Facebook can access

You can also check what access your Facebook mobile app has permission to access. This includes  whether the app can access your storage, camera, if the microphone can record audio or not, phone status, approximate location (network-based), and your precise location (GPS and network-based).

Do a checkup

On Facebook you can run a Privacy Checkup or a Security Checkup by going to the Facebook Safety Centre and clicking on either option.

How can I see what information of mine is stored on Facebook?

See your activity log

The activity log lets you see all of the things that you’ve done on Facebook, this includes content you have posted, commented on, shared and liked.

You can access your activity log by clicking the triangle in the top right hand corner or clicking View Activity Log near your cover photo.

You can use the activity log to change who can see each part of your activity by clicking the arrow on the right of each post.

Download your information from Facebook

You also have the option to download an archive of your Facebook activity, including photos, videos and posts. This shows you all of the data that is stored about you from across Facebook.

Be mindful that this information you download needs to be stored securely on your device so as to not put your personal data at risk.

What else can I do?

Disable apps completely

Instead of going into your accounts and disabling specific apps, you can completely disable the Facebook app platform. This means you won’t be able to use your Facebook account to log into third party apps or websites.

You can turn this off by going to App Settings, then edit Apps, Websites and Plugins.

Delete Facebook

You also always have the option of deleting your Facebook account. To do this you need to notify Facebook that you wish to delete your account and then click on the ‘Delete My Account’ button. After doing this you will not be able to reactivate your account or retrieve any of the content or information you have added. You can also deactivate your account if you prefer, and you can read an earlier blog of ours on how to do this. 

privacy

data protection

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New research highlights – looking at digital relationships

The UKCCIS Evidence Group have launched two new Research Highlights summarising recent research from the UK Safer Internet Centre and Childnet International looking at digital relationships and online sexual harassment.  

The Research Highlights Series

The research highlight series is conducted by the The UKCCIS Evidence Group, providing the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) with helpful summaries of relevant and new research. The Evidence Groups includes representatives from NGOs, academia and police. The Research Highlights Series aims to keep UKCCIS, and the wider public, up to date with current research.

Researchers and stakeholders are encouraged to inform the evidence group of recent and ongoing research.

Research highlight 126

Project deSHAME: Young People’s Experiences of Online Sexual Harassment

From UKSIC partner, Childnet, this research forms part of Project deSHAME. Providing a summary of a large-scale study examining young people’s experiences of peer-related online sexual harassment in Denmark, Hungary and the UK. This qualitative and quantitative research, was conducted as part of Project deSHAME with 3,257 young people aged 13-17 years in Denmark, Hungary and the UK. It provides a unique insight into their experiences of peer-related online sexual harassment.

Find out more about project deSHAME

Research highlight 125

Digital Friendships: The Role of Technology in Young People’s Relationships

For Safer Internet Day 2018 the UKSIC conducted a large scale study looking at the role of technology in young people’s relationships, the impact of this on their wellbeing, and how they want the adults in their lives to support them.

Key findings:

• The most popular platforms 8-17s are using to chat to their friends on a daily basis are YouTube (41%), WhatsApp (32%), Snapchat (29%), Instagram (27%) and Facebook or Facebook Messenger (26%).
• Over half (54%) of respondents aged 8-17 said they would feel isolated if they couldn’t talk to their friends via technology
• Over seven in ten (73%) of those aged 8-17 think it’s important for their friends to reply to their messages once they’ve seen the
• In the last year, more than four in five (83%) of 8-17s have experienced people being kind to them online

Find out more about Safer Internet Day

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Primary school teacher writes about the Childnet Digital Leaders who are making a difference in his school

Dan Everest who runs the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme at King’s Ely Junior School gives his tips on being a group leader and shares how the programme has helped promote online safety in school.

Delivered as part of Childnet's work in the UK Safer Internet Centre, the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme aims to empower children and young people to champion digital citizenship and creativity within their schools and to educate their peers, parents and teachers about staying safe online. 

What are your top tips for other Digital Leaders group leaders?

• Make sure potential DLs know the commitment level of the post. When training my DLs, they had to give up one lunchtime each week for a term. Once trained I would try and meet my DLs fortnightly depending on the activities I had for them.
• Pick a variety of students. I tried hard to get an equal balance of boys and girls in each year group.
• Students don’t have to be experts in computing to be a DL.
• Be organised, I now have 40 DLs to keep track of. Keeping lists of who has completed different modules of training is important. Who is presenting which subject to which class etc.
• Listen to your DLs. I have found out a lot more about digital use at school through my DLs.
• Recognise your DLs. My DLs are introduced in our whole school assembly as well as having their pictures up on display so that students know who they can chat to.
• Rewards your DLs. At the end of the school year the DLs have a pizza party as a thank you for their hard work.

What would you say to someone who was thinking of signing up to the Digital Leaders Programme?

If you are thinking of signing up to the DLs programme, I would most definitely recommend it. Working with my DLs always brings a smile to my face because of their commitment and passion they bring to the role. They want to help their peers, they go out of their way to support safer digital use. I find when hearing the safer digital use message from their peers, students are more receptive to it. Being in a school of nearly 400 students, my DLs are a vital support network for me in promoting and supporting students in their digital lives. My DLs also advise me about the latest apps and games being used in school - turns out Facebook is not the most popular app!

What have your Digital Leaders enjoyed most about the experience?

I get the impression that my DLs have enjoyed the whole journey of becoming one. They really enjoy going into other classrooms and presenting to students. For Safer Internet Day, DLs went into our Year 3-6 classrooms to present information about staying safer online. I had groups of DLs practicing using IWBs and their presentations for several weeks before the big day.  The DLs were so excited when I announced our Digital Picnic events and that they were going to be running information stalls. Already I have had the students in most lunchtimes working on the material they are going to present.

Digital Leaders 2.0 

After the success of last year’s Digital Leaders in Year 5 and 6 we wanted to mirror the success with Years 4 and 6 giving us leader coverage for Years 4-8.  We paired our new recruits with mentors who will act as guides for their training and beyond.

Digital Picnic

In January we welcomed Professor Emma Bond into school. She gave a presentation to parents on the digital dangers facing the students. Listening to the conversations afterwards between the parents and Professor Bond, parents wanted to know what to do next to help keep their children safer. From this the Digital Picnic was born. The idea is to share with the parents what we do with the students and then share digital parenting ideas as a group. Half way through the students will join their parents giving them both time to discuss digital matters. Parents and children will then be free to visit the stalls run by our DLs to receive information of certain APPs and games that are commonly used at school. Parents can also chat with teachers as well. We have planned 2 picnics, one for Years 3-5, the other for Years 6-8. Why a picnic? Well, the events are planned for May and we thought it would be a comfortable and hopefully fun setting for discussions.

If you would like to know more about the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme then register your interest and we can send you a pack with more information. 

peer education

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SWGfL Publishes Report Into Effects of Screentime on Young People's Wellbeing

A report published today (Tuesday 20 March 2018) by SWGfL (South West Grid for Learning) - one of the partners in the UK Safer Internet Centre – shows that many young people said “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO) is one of the main reasons they will spend “too much” time online.

The report into the effects of ‘screen-time’ is the first in a series, titled Young People, Internet Use and Wellbeing in the UK. Compiled by Professor Andy Phippen from Plymouth University, the series explores the role of technology on young people’s wellbeing. Each report in the series will have a specific area of focus, such as gender, age differences, and what harmful content means to young people. It assesses data provided by more than 6,620 young people from year 4 to year 13 across over 100 schools in the UK.

Key findings

The primary finding from this analysis is that there is a clear a link between the amount of time a young person spends online and their exposure to upset, risk, and issues related to wellbeing. Additionally many young people said “fear of missing out” is one of the main reasons they will spend “too much” time online.

Through our analysis, we can see clear correlations between screen time and wellbeing, with some specific findings being:

• The older young people get the more time they spend online
• Males are more likely than females to be heavy online users
• Those who spend a lot of time online are more likely to see upsetting content, receive abusive comments, or send abuse to others
• Heavy online users are more likely to worry about how much time they spend online, and worry about what they have seen
• Heavy users are more likely to go online because they are lonely

Overall analysis on this sample shows first that there are some young people who spend a lot of time online, with a third of spending more than 3 hours a day online, and just over 10% declaring that they spend in excess of 6 hours a day online.

This research raises further questions around what motivates young people’s online behaviours, and it is clear that this is an area that requires further research. Over the coming years SWGfL, as part of its work as a partner in the UK Safer Internet Centre, will be working with HeadStart Kernow to explore the subject, as well as the social and emotional impacts of the online world, in order to inform future support for schools, families and communities.

Advice for parents

To support families, the UK Safer Internet Centre has today published a guide for parents and carers about screentime, with four key tips:

• Use digital devices together: Get involved in your child’s online activities. Have fun, play games and learn together online, just as you would in the physical world. It will then be natural for your child to turn to you if they experience anything upsetting online.
• Set clear expectations: Clear family rules can help your child have a positive start to their digital life and get the most out of being online. Ask your child to help create some family rules.
• Be informed: Many digital devices, services and content providers offer a range of parental controls. You can choose the type of content and options that are suitable for your child.
• Establish good habits early on: Both adults and children enjoy sharing moments with family and friends through online images and videos. Starting conversations and good habits early on is a great way to support children in staying safe online.

Andy Phippen, Professor of Social Responsibility in IT at the University of Plymouth said:

“The analysis of this large survey shows that there is a very clear link between screen-time and the likelihood that young people might be exposed to abuse or upsetting content.

“While our analysis can’t tell us why this is the case, the data is very clear that excessive screen-time can lead to higher risk of upset.”

David Wright, Director of SWGfL and the UK Safer Internet Centre, said:

“We have seen over recent months that some aspects of being online is having a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of children and young people. 

“This report clearly highlights some of these aspects, in particular the strong correlations illustrating gender differences in the extent of online use and also the children who spend an increased amount of time online are more likely to see upsetting content, receive abusive comments, or send abuse to others.

“The conclusions from this report must now be used as a stepping stone towards further research that can give us a clearer understanding of the reasons behind young people’s online behaviours, so that we may better support them in the future.”

screen time

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A parents guide to Fortnite: Battle Royale

At the UK Safer Internet Centre, we regularly deliver online safety training sessions to pupils, parents and teachers. Recently we have noticed an increasing number of young people talking about the game ‘Fortnite’. In this blog we are giving guidance to parents about Fortnite, looking at what the game is and some of the things to be aware of.

What is Fortnite?

Fortnight is an online game, which includes Battle Royale, where players do not have to pay to play. In Battle Royale, 100 players compete against each other to be the last person standing in player vs player (PVP) combat.

Users play against people of different ages from across the world, and can talk and interact with each other as they play through the in-game chat feature.

What age rating is Fortnite?

Fortnite has a PEGI rating of 12, PEGI have said this is due to the: ‘frequent scenes of mild violence. It is not suitable for persons under 12 years of age’.

This PEGI rating only takes into account the content in the game and not the contact element, where players may be exposed to swearing and offensive language from strangers, either through audio or on-screen text chat.

What do I need to know?

You need to create an account

In order to play Fortnite you have to create an account. To create this account you need to provide an email address (which you will have to verify) and display/user name. However you are not asked your age in order to create an account.

You are playing against other players

As Fortnite is an online game you willplay against players of different ages from across the world. You cannot turn the in game chats off or choose who you play against.

You can make in game purchases

Although Battle Royale is free to play, other aspects of the game are not. There are packs which give you different access to the full game and extensions, bonuses and weapons. These start at £34.99 and go up to £119.99. The game does ask players to make additional in-game purchases whilst playing, though these are not required to play the game.

There is animated violence

Fortnite does feature violence when players are in combat with each other, the animation of the game is very cartoonish, and the violence isn’t bloody or gory. However, it is worth noting that the aim of Fortnite is to defeat other players by fighting against them.

Where you can play

Fortnite is currently available on PC, Mac, PlayStation and XBox , and will soon be available on IOS (apple products). It is downloadable from the Fortnite website, this download gives access to both the free and paid for versions of the game.

Our advice

• Have an open and honest conversation with your child
  It’s important to involve yourself in your child’s online life and a simple and effective way to this is by talking to them about their life online.Try to maintain an open dialogue with your child and find opportunities to talk to them about what they love to do online. Parents can help children access the amazing resources the internet has to offer whilst keeping them safe online at the same time.
  Asking your child about how they play Fortnite and what they like about it is a great way to start a conversation. Our conversation starters can help you to have this conversation.
• Play with them
  It may seem daunting, but one of the best things that you can do is to engage with the gaming environment and begin to understand what makes Fortnite so attractive to young people, as well as giving yourself an idea of the reporting tools available within the game.
• Know how to make a report
  On Fortnite you can report players who are behaving inappropriately by using the in-game feedback tool located in the game Main Menu, you can also make a report by emailing the creators of Fortnite.
• See what other people think of Fortnite
  Common Sense Media allow parents and young people to give their reviews of games that they have played. They have created a very useful video guide to Fortnite with footage of the gameplay involved.

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Reporting on Snapchat – answering some frequently asked questions

Snapchat is a hugely popular messaging app that allows users to share photos, texts and videos, i.e. ‘Snaps’. In this blog we are looking to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about reporting on Snapchat.

How do I make a report?

Snapchat have some really easy guidance to reporting content within their app, the videos on this page cover how to report a story, a snap you’ve received, an account and content from advertisers or publishers. 

What happens when you make a report?

When you make a report on Snapchat, it is sent to the moderators at Snapchat to review. They will view the reported snap or account and decide if the content breaks the community guidelines. If it does break these guidelines the account/snap will be removed from the platform, and if the content is illegal Snapchat may

Who can see that you have made the report?

All reporting on Snapchat is anonymous. The person you report is not able to see that you have reported them, even if the report results in their content or account being removed.

What if you report by accident?

As each report is moderated by the team at Snapchat if you report something that does not break their community guidelines then no action will be taken.

Will the post get deleted?

If a post breaks Snapchat’s community guidelines then Snapchat have the right to delete the content, and if they deem it necessary then can also suspend or delete the account.

What breaks the community guidelines of Snapchat?

The full community guidelines can be found on Snapchat’s website. These include:

• Adult Content (e.g. pornographic content)
• Nudity or Sexually Suggestive Content Involving Minors 
• Illegal Content 
• Invasions of Privacy
• Threats & Violence
• Harassment & Bullying
• Impersonation
• Hate Speech
• Terrorism
• Spam

We have previously published blogs on Snapchat streaks, SnapMaps and reporting on Snapchat Stories.

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Exploring Education for a Connected World: Self-Image and Identity

In this series, Ken Corish, Online Safety Director for SWGfL and the UK Safer Internet Centre, takes an in-depth look at the new UKCCIS framework “Education for a Connected World”, discusses the topics covered in the framework and how the content could be used to shape appropriate and effective engagement with learners.

Social media and online technology often capitalises on our fascination with ourselves. Whether it’s the ever-present selfie, what we’re eating, where we are, who we are with, what we are doing; there are a whole host of apps and services that allow us to present ourselves in our best light and share it with everyone.

Social media provides an important avenue for self-expression, connection and communication. And yet, it is often easy to lose sight of how our use of those powerful technologies can influence our behaviour and attitude to ourselves. 

The Power of Image

The Safer Internet Day 2017 UK Safer Internet Centre research “The Power of Image” examined young people’s use of image based media. The research, which was conducted with 1,500 young people, revealed that the average number of photos taken before posting a selfie was 12 and that a “successful” selfie was one that received over 40 “likes”. 
 
Whilst this could be just a little care and attention about how we look, it’s interesting to consider how online culture demands what is the “right look” and how we are drawn into those requirements. Duck face? Dabbing? Face filters or lenses? Naked? What are the influences and pressures to conform or engage?

This strand of the frame work sets out to explore those influences and shape understanding around how technology might influence behaviour and attitude towards one’s self.
 
From the differences between online and offline identity: beginning with self-awareness, to shaping online identities, and how media impacts on gender and stereotypes, this strand identifies effective routes for reporting and support and explores the impact of online technologies on self-image and behaviour. 
 
It identifies effective routes for reporting and support and explores the impact of online technologies on self-image and behaviour. 

Education for a Connected World Framework: Self-Image and Identity

Very young children and ages up to seven:

• Considers consent and ways to challenge both on and offline relationships you might not be comfortable with
• Highlights ways in which a young person can tell someone to get support when they are feeling uncomfortable
• Examines differing identities; how they might look

Children seven to 11:

• Begins to define what identity is both on and offline and how they differ
• Offers strategies for making responsible choices when adopting an identity and how that changes depending on the context of who you are with and what you may be doing
• Explores how identity may be compromised through copying, altering or modifying
• Encourages examining how media can influence behaviours through targeting gender 
• What is a safe and effective way to report and share concerns

For young people 11 to 14:

• Describes how technology can be used for positive self-promotion
• Explores ways in which you can curate or experiment with identity in a way that empowers
• Demonstrates ways in which an online digital persona can influence the content we see in our social media feeds and internet searches
• Offers opportunities to assess the role digital media plays in our lives; the benefits and risks; and strategies to reduce those risks
• Considers ways in which online media can reinforce stereotypes and offers strategies to identify and rationalise when this happens
• Examines the pressures social media can place on us to engage
• How identity can be altered in the media through the use of ploy-manipulation 

For 14 to 18 examines more complex issues:

• Examines the types of content that can and/or have been deliberately designed to influence behaviour and body image
• Considers Artificial Intelligence and its impact on our present and future lives
• Explores strategies for positive self-promotion and how it can be shaped to improve future opportunities
• Offers strategies to challenge social norms and make informed decisions on identity with respect to gender, culture and social group
• Explores ways in which to challenge negative comments online concerning identity and how to identify and assist others that may need support
• Considers UK Law governing sexual content and the influence of that content on behaviour and relationships
• Examines positive online role models and explores examples from own media research
• Highlights how digital manipulation can be both positive and negative

SWGfL, a partner in the UK Safer Internet Centre, is currently in the process of developing resources and content to support each statement in the framework. These will be managed via a FREE online portal and available for any adult to use. 

In our next article in the Education for a Connected World series we will takes a deeper look at the second strand of the framework, Online Relationships. 

UK Government launches new Education Framework for a Connected World

Education for a Connected World

UKCISS

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