Online Safety for Students

Sgt. James Doty and I spoke with students at Underwood High School today about online safety. We're doing a county-wide tour to reach as many students as possible. Here's some highlights: = CYBERSECURITY 101 = • Use long, unique passwords for each app / service. • Use MFA everywhere you can! • Keep your devices and apps updated. = SAFETY FIRST = • Be skeptical -- if you get a bad feeling online or IRL, get out of there! • Reduce your attack surface: - Delete unused accounts and apps. - Lock-down the ones you use. • Remember that once you hit SEND you lose control of what you sent: - Don't text angry -- save a draft, come back later and edit it. - Don't send nudes -- it's just too dangerous, and for kids it's illegal. - Remember "deleted" stuff can stick around, maybe forever! • Find an adult you can trust, and run things by them: - For some kids that's a parent. - For others it might be a teacher or school resource officer instead. = SEXTORTION = • Criminals will try to trick you into sending nudes. • Cops understand the victim is NOT to blame. • Years ago, threats to send photos to your family were lies -- NOT today. • If this happens to you, it's NOT the end of the world! • Upside to A.I.: You can always tell people what they got was a deepfake. • Things will suck for a while, but it WILL get better. • You WILL get past it, and law enforcement is here to help. = ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (U.S.) = • NCMEC CyberTip Line: If you find CSAM, report it with this form: https://lnkd.in/g7UhPPdY • Take It Down: Resources to help remove images of yourself online: https://lnkd.in/gJ8hX3SY • IC3.gov: You can report cybercrime to the FBI with this form: https://www.ic3.gov • PCSO Cyber Safety Tips: https://pcso.link/cyber

We teach stranger danger offline.  What about online? Digital safety isn't optional anymore. Especially for autism individuals. Research shows something uncomfortable:  “Autism individuals are disproportionately targeted for online grooming.” Not because they're "less capable." Because they're often more trusting, literal in communication, and seeking connection. Groomers know this. They exploit exactly those traits. Data from NSPCC shows online grooming reports rose 80% in the past four years. In social gaming environments, high-risk grooming situations develop in just 45 minutes on average. 45 minutes. That's one homework session. One gaming break. One "I'll just check on them in a bit" moment. Autism individuals may struggle to recognize inappropriate or concerning behavior. They can be overly trusting and find it hard to report issues. This isn't about fear. It's about preparation. Here's what actually protects kids: 1. 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 Not after problems start. Before. 2. 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 It may be hard for some children to understand that not everyone is who they say they are online. Make it concrete: ↝ "Anyone can post a picture of a kid and actually be an adult." ↝ "If someone asks you to keep secrets from parents, that's a red flag." ↝ "Real friends don't ask for private photos." Write it out. Make a visual poster. Put it by their devices. 3. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 Let them know you will be monitoring their internet usage and what your expectations are. Not as punishment. As protection. 4. 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞-𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬 ↝ "What would you do if someone online asked where you live?" ↝ "What if they said they're 13 but want to video chat?" ↝ "What if they offer you something if you send a photo?" Practice responses until they're automatic. 5. 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 Check messages and chat periodically. If your child suddenly wants a new app you've never heard of, pause and research it first. 6. 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 Not in bedrooms unsupervised. Especially at night. Predators know when kids are alone and parents are asleep. Here's what I want you to know: Setting these boundaries doesn't mean you don't trust your child. It means you don't trust the adults who prey on children. Digital literacy is a life skill now. And for neurodivergent kids who may miss social cues or be more trusting, these safeguards aren't restrictive. They're protective scaffolding. Your child's safety is worth the uncomfortable conversations. Worth the boundary-setting. Worth checking their devices even when they protest. Start today. Not after something happens. What's one digital safety rule you've implemented that actually works? ♻️ Repost to Protect ✨ Follow Dr. Cécile Heinze ✨

It may be summer mode for most schools and parents, but internet safety doesn’t take a summer break. Yesterday, I emailed my local elementary school district not because of a crisis, but to address a gap we can’t afford to ignore. As a parent and T&S professional with 13+ years of experience, I’ve learned that waiting for harm before acting is far too common and dangerous. Many think online safety is mainly a teen issue, but over half of kids ages 5 to 14 now have smartphones, and children in TK and kindergarten are already playing online games like Roblox. These younger kids are at risk. The latest Stanford University Cyber Policy Center report on AI-generated CSAM should be required reading for anyone in tech, policy, education, or parenting. With AI evolving rapidly, we must act now, not play catch-up. A few key findings: ➡️ Generative AI can create hyper-realistic CSAM with no technical skills needed ➡️ Kids are already using these tools to harass and bully their peers — including creating fake explicit images ➡️ Schools are not equipped. Most have no training, policies, or response plans (especially elementary and middle schools) ➡️ Legal and policy frameworks haven’t caught up. There are still gaps around reporting, definitions, and prevention ➡️ Law enforcement is overwhelmed Yet many school districts (mine included) have: ❌ No bullying policy including AI-generated images ❌ No clear online safety curriculum for younger grades ❌ No emergency response plan if these harms happen outside school but involve students I didn’t just ask for changes... I provided links, resources, and action steps: ✔️ Update policies to address AI-generated content and digital harms ✔️ Introduce age-appropriate online safety education at every grade (K-6). I recommended Google’s Be Internet Awesome and National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s NetSmartz (free curriculums!) ✔️ Invite professionals to educate parents - I recommended Jessica M. of JM Consulting This isn’t just a platform problem, it’s a community challenge that requires all of us: parents, schools, platforms, law enforcement. If you work in Trust & Safety, policy, child protection, or tech, consider how your skills can help locally. To my LinkedIn network: ✅ If you’re in Trust & Safety, share your expertise with local schools and groups ✅ If you’re in policy, push for education reforms ✅ If you’re in leadership, fund safety initiatives ✅ And if you’re a parent, don’t wait—start the conversation now We don’t have to wait for a crisis to lead from where we are. Feel free to share this post and the links below with anyone who may find it helpful. 🔗 Stanford Report https://lnkd.in/giqusMHT 🔗 Be Internet Awesome https://lnkd.in/gzSQpXtT 🔗 NetSmartz https://lnkd.in/gaHgiMSV #TrustAndSafety #OnlineSafety #AIethics #ChildProtection #DigitalLiteracy #GenerativeAI #Cyberbullying #EdTech #Policy #TechForGood

Millions of kids unwrap their very 1st tech gifts. And while the excitement is real… so are the risks. With winter break around the corner, kids spend more hours online with less supervision & the data should make every parent pause: + 90% of kids 8+ are online daily + 67% of U.S. kids (8–18) have experienced at least one cyber risk + Kids are 51x more likely than adults to experience identity theft Home doesn’t automatically mean safe especially online. As a mom of 4, cybersecurity practitioner, author, & TEDx speaker teaching families how to stay safe, here are the biggest threats this winter break /holiday season: 1. Cyberbullying & Deepfakes 65% of kids 8–14 have experienced cyberbullying.
AI deepfakes make harmful content spread faster than ever. 2. “Holiday Sharenting” Oversharing kids' photos can expose them to identity theft & unwanted digital trails. Pause before posting. (I talked about this in my TEDx talk) 3. Inappropriate Content Exposure More screen time = more chances to encounter harmful content.
Filters & parental controls are essential. 4. Online Predators Predators become more active during long breaks.
Anonymity online makes kids vulnerable to manipulation. So how do we protect our kids? ✨ Create open communication
Normalize talking about online experiences. Regular check-ins build trust. ✨ Set healthy tech boundaries
Know their apps, review screen time, prioritize safety tools. ✨ Teach online privacy early
Explain why personal info should never be shared with strangers. ✨ Choose age-appropriate tech
If gifting devices, set up privacy settings together. Our kids deserve a joyful & safe holiday/winter break. 
Let’s build homes where curiosity & wonder thrive without cyber risks following them into the new year. P.s. What tech gifts are your kids asking for this year & what safety tips would you add? #cybersecurity

Every parent loves the first-day photo. Every bad actor loves it too…for very different reasons. Back-to-school season means our feeds are full of first-day photos. They’re joyful and proud…but also riskier than most people realize. I work in Trust & Safety and I see everyday how small pieces of information such as your child’s name, grade, school, teacher, or classroom number can be pieced together. For bad actors, these aren’t cute details. They’re breadcrumbs that can lead back to a child’s identity or even their home. And the risks are real. Kids today face more than just playground bullying. Online threats include doxxing, impersonation, grooming, and digital harassment - and children are increasingly being targeted. A few practical ways to share safely this school year: ✅ Crop or blur personal details ✅ Post to private groups or stories instead of public feeds ✅ Use nicknames instead of full names ✅ Skip the school logos, classroom numbers, teacher names or location tags Parents shouldn’t have to choose between celebrating milestones and protecting their kids. With a few adjustments, you can do both. Here’s to a safe and happy school year…on and offline! #internetsafety #security #privacy

Instead of asking 'Why this platform?' we need to ask the bigger question: “Who is accountable for kids #online? CBC reported today that there’s been a rise in serious online threats targeting kids, especially girls. Since June 2022, there have been 127 reports of extreme online threats, and 84% of victims were girls, some as young as 11. These numbers truly highlight a clear gap in accountability and protections for young people navigating #digital spaces. What we really need is: → Rules that actually protect kids online, not vague guidelines but clear rules for AI and content involving minors that everyone has to follow. → Platforms that profit from #engagement should be held accountable and responsible for monitoring harm, responding to reports, and being transparent about how they protect minors. → Practical and updated digital literacy tools, tips, and relevant programs are needed so adults can guide kids confidently. → Kids and #parents should know exactly who to turn to in order to report concerns and get help in simple, clear, and effective ways. →Parents, schools, #government, and platforms all have a role to play, and everyone needs to work together by talking to each other, sharing knowledge, and coordinating to keep kids safer. Children didn’t choose to grow up online, but we can choose to protect them. #OnlineSafety #DigitalSafety #KidsOnline #PrivacyMatters #ProtectChildren #ResponsibleTech #Accountability

Instagram’s New Real-Time Map Feature: What Parents Need to Know Before Their Kids Use It Instagram has rolled out a new map feature that allows users to share their real-time location with people on their friends list. While it may sound like a fun way to keep up with friends, law enforcement is warning parents: know the risks before you let your kids turn it on. The feature is off by default—but once activated, it can broadcast a user’s current or most recent location in real time. And that’s where the concern begins. “The issue isn’t with the innocence of sharing it,” said Tulsa Police Captain Richard Meulenberg. “It’s with the predators out there who are going to exploit the information and maybe victimize somebody.” The Predator Problem Predators don’t need to hack a satellite to find a victim—they just need access to that victim’s online circle. Fake accounts, hacked accounts, or accounts posing as friends can slip into a child’s follower list. Once that happens, the location updates become a roadmap to your child’s daily routine. I’ve seen this happen in real investigations. Location-sharing features become surveillance tools for bad actors—and once information is out, you can’t pull it back. Why Early Conversations Matter Meulenberg’s advice is clear: talk to your kids early and often about online safety. If they’re learning about these features from peers instead of parents, they may be getting incomplete—or dangerously wrong—information. Parents should also connect with their kids on social media, review friend lists, and be proactive in adjusting privacy settings. Six Practical Safety Steps (from crime expert Lori Fullbright, with my added notes): - Only accept friend requests from people you know in person. Predators thrive on fake profiles. - Don’t disclose personal details—age, school, or home address—online. - Teach kids about predator impersonation. Many pose as teens to gain trust. - Encourage immediate reporting if someone sends or requests inappropriate images. - Never meet online contacts in person without trusted adult involvement. - If sextorted, do not comply. Don’t send more images or money—tell a trusted adult right away. Bottom Line Location-sharing may feel like harmless fun, but in the wrong hands, it’s a danger signal. As I often say, technology is not inherently good or bad—it’s a tool. But it can be weaponized if you don’t control the access. If you’re a parent, treat Instagram’s map feature the same way you’d treat giving your child the keys to your car: make sure they’re mature enough to handle it, set clear rules, and stay involved. https://lnkd.in/gJqAYphr

Here’s my Safer Internet Day 2026 roundup with a youth safety lens - the updates around product, standards, and ethics that (to me) felt the most substantive: ▫️Microsoft commemorated 10 years of its Global Online Safety Survey, shared new data on rising AI-related risks, and highlighted new student co-design workshops in India and Singapore around AI use https://lnkd.in/eUSj9JgJ ▫️Discord announced it is expanding its age-appropriate safety experiences worldwide as well as rolling out stronger default safety settings for teen users https://lnkd.in/eFc5F92K ▫️Roblox shared a cool new youth-friendly guide to its community standards, that's written to make the platform rules more easily digestible for younger users https://lnkd.in/eE9TeEUW ▫️Digital Trust and Safety Partnership resurfaced its ISO/IEC 27036-3 standard aka The Safe Framework, reinforcing the importance of auditable trust & safety management systems rather than ad hoc moderation. https://lnkd.in/eadia2pK ▫️ROOST.tools introduced Coop v0, an open-source review and moderation tool for teams to detect, triage, and manage harmful content; comes prebuilt with hash matching for CSAM! Vendors like Musubi now integrate Coop to offer an end-to-end moderation service, which is incredible https://lnkd.in/eJEpzvMu ▫️UNICEF released a powerful statement that AI-generated deepfake sexual content involving minors is abuse and needs to be treated with the same urgency as offline harm. https://lnkd.in/ehfSNbbp ▫️INHOPE launched the “No to Nudify” campaign to unify international hotlines against AI-powered nudification apps targeting children and teens. https://lnkd.in/eyyrt9HJ ▫️Vodafone published important new research showing 81% of children aged 11–16 say they use AI chatbots, and 2 out of 3 see them as a friend https://lnkd.in/eXesniCF ▫️Vys launched our first issue of What It Takes on Quire, co-developed with Persona. The piece is a good technical deep dive into around how age assurance systems need to actually function to be privacy-preserving and difficult to get around https://lnkd.in/edXjC7b8 ▫️At University of California, Berkeley - School of Law, I joined Tina C. Hwang (ClassDojo), Julia Cowles (Khan Academy), and Stavros Gadinis (Berkeley Law) to discuss how AI literacy and child safety are legal and policy considerations that sit at the intersection of consumer protection, privacy, and AI governance. Very much enjoying the shift in youth safety conversations this SID 2026 to practical strategies and tradeoffs - more of this nuance, please!

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘅 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀. Today it’s one platform, tomorrow it could be another. As a mom of two, tech product leader, and cybersecurity advocate who’s educated ~10,000 people worldwide about youth online safety, I can see that 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚: 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚! Here's where action is needed: 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 - Teach your kids to recognize social engineering, AI-driven deception, and how unsafe digital interactions can result in physical threats. Make room for offline play that builds character, judgment and confidence. Role model good digital behavior and discuss about cyber ethics. ZERO TRUST! 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 - Follow 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 practices. If minors use your platform, child safety must be a core product requirement. Implement safety by design, and privacy by default. Set strong parental controls, design for age-appropriate experiences and proactive detection of grooming and predatory behavior. 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 - Enforce clear child safety standards for digital platforms, hold companies accountable for preventable harm, and fund digital literacy and cyber safety education. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 - 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴, 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘯𝘴 🛡️