BEWARE OF SHARENTING

“Sharenting is a term that has evolved to describe parents who share too much information about their children on social media,” explains Michelle Dickens, CEO of TPN Credit Bureau. “It is estimated that by 2030, sharenting could account for up to 7 million incidents of identity theft. While we are aware that children are targeted online, we don’t always realise that our own actions could be contributing to the problem.” MICHELLE SHARES 4 TIPS 1 Set all social media platforms, both for parents and children, to private mode.

2 Disable location services, as criminals use this information to target children’s physical whereabouts in order to find out where they go to school, their age and their names. In particular, don’t allow access to public wi-fi services, as this could compromise private and financial information.

3 Ask children for their consent before posting any photographs or private information on the internet. In this way, you educate them about what is appropriate or not to post. Children also need to learn the implications of posting unauthorised information on social media platforms, as well as the rules around posting photographs of themselves.

4 Know and understand the platforms your children use. Sexual predators use social media platforms to exploit, compel, recruit and spread child sexual abuse material. Report any suspected abuse to the police and child protection services immediately.