ArticlesAn archive of Privacy Parent’s original content designed to help increase your privacy literacy.
An archive of Privacy Parent’s original content designed to help increase your privacy literacy.
September 28th, 2022
Be honest, parents. You’ve heard of Twitch, but you have no idea what it is. That’s OK. You’re hardly alone. Here’s a primer.
The basics
Put simply, Twitch is a gaming platform that allows users to livestream the video games they’re playing. According to Windstream, Twitch hosts at least 15 million visitors on average every day, with more than 3 million of those being creators sharing their gameplay.
... Continue reading >
September 6th, 2022
Keep this in mind: They can track your texts, too. Texting may feel private—just a little typed out conversation between you and a friend for your and their eyes only. Would that it were so. Your text chains contain mountains of information about you and your habits and preferences. It’s valuable, which means someone out there wants it. At times, they get it.
Ever visit a website to browse some products only to then…... Continue reading >
August 26th, 2022
TikTok, it was recently revealed, can track your keystrokes. Sounds sketchy, right? It is. If you or your kids use TikTok, here’s what you need to know.
First, a reminder of a universal rule: Free isn’t free. Apps that don’t cost money to download may appear free, but they’re not. There is plenty of value to harvest from data generated by your use of the app. Some of that data is innocuous, some…... Continue reading >
July 28th, 2022
TikTok’s “Blackout Challenge” is the kind of trend you hope your kids steer well clear of. Dangerous and sometimes deadly, it’s the dark flipside to the comparatively innocent viral challenges—remember the ice buckets?—of years before.
Unlike those video memes, often started as
publicity-awareness campaigns, this one has nothing noble in its roots. It
does, however, offer an important reminder: Social media can be as risky as it
is engaging.
TikTok, in case, somehow,…... Continue reading >
July 20th, 2022
To understand the Dark Web, understand this: The Internet can be a weird place. So weird, that it’s got a bizarro version where none of the normal rules apply. You can think of it as a parallel universe or an alternate dimension, but it has a name: The Dark Web. Here’s what you should know about it.
The Dark Web is a shadow version of the Internet, where there are good actors and bad…... Continue reading >
June 22nd, 2022
Do you know about in-app purchases? If your kids are using a phone or tablet and have access to the apps on it, you definitely should. In-app purchases can escape your notice and cost you real money. The good news is, they’re easy to block.
Some apps, in particular gaming apps, allow users to buy things within the app. No need to log into a separate store—one you’ve vetted, say. The user just…... Continue reading >
June 1st, 2022
It is with sadness in our hearts that we felt compelled to address the topic of violence in schools. Hasn’t this gone on for too long? Can’t we end this violent cycle of tragedy? We must not continue to let our children be attacked in what should be the safest space outside of their own home. At Privacy Parent, we may not be able to influence our leaders and lawmakers (yet), but we can use our expertise…... Continue reading >
May 16th, 2022
It’s not as if we lost our privacy all at once. We’ve given away little bits of it here and there, exchanging personal information for the conveniences and genuine solutions our increasingly tech-ified world provides. But your privacy matters. Your personal data is yours. It’s worth protecting. Here are 10 baby steps you can take to protect your privacy.
Turn off Location Services. Not too deep in your phone’s privacy settings you’ll find “Location…... Continue reading >
April 26th, 2022
You know those dozens of old apps on your phone that you never use? They’re doing more than just sitting there. They’re collecting data about you and gumming up the works in the process. Unused apps are a privacy leak and a security risk. It’s time to do a little spring cleaning and delete them. Here’s how.
iOS
1. Go to Settings/General/iPhone Storage.
2. Scroll down to…... Continue reading >
March 22nd, 2022
Children are spending a lot of time in front of a digital screen these days. On average: seven hours a day among kids age 8 to 18—and that’s before schools closed and we were all ordered home. Screen time recommendations vary among health advocates, but no one suggests staring at a screen for nearly a full workday is good for anyone, let alone 9-year-olds. For the CDC’s take, click here.
What do…... Continue reading >