PARENTAL CONTROL SERIES Keeping Children Safe Online

To set up a YouTube Kids account for yourchild, you must first have Google’s Family Linkapp installed.YouTube Kids is an app designed to provide asafer and more contained environment for kidson YouTube. Parents can create up to eightprofiles for their children on YouTube Kidsand approve content, set screen time limits,track what their kids are watching, and more.YouTube Kids content can be viewed withoutsigning in or creating an account, but if yourchild has their own devices you can also setup a YouTube Kids account for them. The agegroups to choose from are Preschool (kids4 and under), Younger (kids 8 and under), orOlder (kids 8 to 12).z To create a YouTube Kids account for yourchild, open the Family Link app and selectCreate on the home screen.z Follow the prompts to set up your child’sYouTube Kids account.z To adjust the content settings for yourchild’s account, select your child’s accounton the Family Link home screen.z Open Settings and select Manage Settings.z Choose More and then YouTube Kids.z You can now toggle on/off your child’s abilityto search for videos and select a contentlevel based on their age.To sign into YouTube, users must have aGoogle account that meets the minimumage requirement of 13 years old. YouTubevideos can be viewed without signing in,with the exception of videos that requireage verification.ConsumerResources.org

Parental Controls forSocial MediaTips to enable controls on major social media platforms

Facebook is a social networking platform thatallows users to post updates, upload photosand videos, send messages to friends, joingroups for specific interests, and more. Toadjust your child’s privacy settings andpersonal information:z Log into their account and navigate to yourchild’s profile. Choose About near the topof the page, then select Contact and BasicInfo.z Add, change, or remove the information thatyou would like to edit, such as your child’sfamily relationships and location.z To adjust who can view this personalinformation, set the privacy setting to Public,Friends, or Only Me. Click Save at thebottom of the page to confirm your changes.z Some of your child’s information will bevisible to all Facebook users, regardlessof privacy settings. These include yourchild’s profile photo, cover photo, name, andgender.To adjust who can view posts and photostagging your child:z Log into their account, click the down arrowin the top-right corner of the Facebookscreen, and select Settings & Privacy. Thenselect Timeline & Tagging.z Click the Edit button next to Who can seeposts you’re tagged in on your timeline?.z Select the audience of people who can viewthis content on your child’s timeline (ex:Friends, Everyone, Only Me, etc.).z By turning on Timeline Review, your childwill be prompted to manually approve anyposts or photos they are tagged in beforethey appear on your child’s timeline.z Click Save to confirm your changes.z You can also navigate to specific photos andposts that your child has been tagged inand choose to hide them from your child’stimeline.When your child posts their own photos andstatus updates, they can select the audiencefor these posts individually.To adjust who can view a specific post orphoto of your child’s, navigate to the post orphoto and click the audience selector beneathyour child’s name. If the post is set to Public,you can adjust the content to be visible toFriends or Only Me.To adjust the privacy settings of your child’sphoto albums, go to your child’s profile andclick Photos and then Albums. Select analbum and then choose Edit Album. Look forthe audience selector above the Save buttonand make sure the album privacy is not set toPublic. Click Save to confirm your changes.Note: The minimum age to use thisplatform is 13. If you know of a user underthe age of 13 who has created an accountusing a false date of birth, you can reporttheir account here.ConsumerResources.org

z To hide your child’s stories from specificusers, click Hide Story From. Then selectfrom the list of your child’s followers whoyou would like to block from viewing theirstories.Instagram is a photo and video sharingplatform that allows users to post their ownphotos and videos and view and comment onthe photos and videos of others. Instagram’sprivacy settings allow users to make accountsfully private, limit who can view their content,and more.To set your child’s account to private mode:z Log into your child’s account, navigate totheir profile, and click the gear icon.z Scroll down to Privacy and Security andselect Account Privacy.z Tap next to Private Account to make yourchild’s account private.z After their account is private, they will needto manually approve all followers. Only theirfollowers will be able to view Instagramposts and stories.Instagram Stories are photos/videos thatyour child can upload that are visible onlyfor 24-hours. To set restrictions on who caninteract with your child’s story, navigateto your child’s account settings, scroll downto Privacy and Security and select StoryControls.z To prevent your child’s Instagram storiesfrom being shared by their followers, makesure that the button next to Allow Sharing isunchecked.Instagram also allows users to prevent theirfollowers from making offensive commentson posts.z To automatically ensure that offensivecomments made on your child’s photos orvideos are hidden, navigate to your child’saccount settings, scroll down to Privacy andSecurity and select Comment Controls.z Make sure that the button next to HideOffensive Comments is checked.z In this section, you can also choose toprevent specific users from commentingon your child’s posts. Click on BlockComments From to choose from a list ofyour child’s followers from whom to blockcomments.Note: The minimum age to use thisplatform is 13. The accounts of usersunder the age of 13 can be reported here.ConsumerResources.org

SnapchatSnapchat is a platform that allows users toshare pictures and videos with friends thatdisappear after being viewed by the recipient.To adjust your child’s privacy settings:z Log into their account via the Snapchat app,navigate to your child’s profile, and click thegear icon.z Scroll down to “Who Can .” In this sectionyou can adjust who can: Contact Me: Choose who can sendSnapchats and messages directly to yourchild. Send Me Notifications: Choose whetheryour child can receive notifications fromeveryone or Snapchat friends only. View My Story: Choose who can viewyour child’s Snapchat story. Specificusers can also be blocked from viewingstories by selecting Custom. View My Location: Choose who can viewyour child’s location on the Snapchatmap.z In general, your child’s posts, location,and other content can be restricted totwo groups: My Friends and Everyone. IfEveryone is selected for Who Can ContactMe, any Snapchat user will be able to sendmessages and photos to your child.Note: The minimum age to use thisplatform is 13. Accounts of underageusers can be reported by emailingsupport@snapchat.com and providingdetails of the account.ConsumerResources.org

TikTok is a video-sharing platform that allowsusers to create and upload short-form videos.To make your child’s TikTok account private:z Log into your child’s account, navigate totheir profile, and select the Settings icon.The settings icon is a gray box with threedots.z Under Privacy & Safety, turn on PrivateAccount.z Your child’s videos will now only be viewableby your child’s followers and they will onlybe able to receive messages sent by theirfollowers. Any potential followers will need tosend your child a Follow request before theycan view your child’s content.z If your child’s account is not set to private,any TikTok user will be able to view yourchild’s videos and send them messages.z Under Privacy and Safety, you can alsomanage who can comment on yourchild’s videos. Select Who Can Send MeComments to choose from Everyone,Friends, or Off.To adjust what information is visible onyour child’s profile:z Log into their account, navigate to yourchild’s profile and select Edit Profile.z From here, you can edit, add, or removeyour child’s profile information, includingtheir age, address, and phone number.z Certain information, such as your child’sprofile photo, username, and biography willbe visible to all TikTok users regardless ofyour child’s privacy settings. Check theseitems to ensure that they do not containrevealing information.Note: The minimum age to use thisplatform is 13. Those under the age of18 must have parental consent beforesigning up. Accounts of users under theage of 13 can be reported by emailingprivacy@tiktok.com. More informationfor parents can be found here.ConsumerResources.org

Tumblr is a blogging platform that members canuse to create blog posts, upload art, photos,and videos, and more. Users can change theirprivacy settings to make their blog postsprivate or hide their activity from others.To hide your child’s account activity fromother users:z Log into their account, click Settings atthe top of the Tumblr dashboard and thenPrivacy.z Turn off Let others see that you’re active.Now other Tumblr users will not be ableto see when your child is active on theiraccount.Users can also prevent their blogs from beingvisible in search results on Tumblr and on theweb.z To hide your child’s blog on the web, navigateto Settings and select Visibility. Turn onHide [your child’s blog name]. Your child’sblog will now only be viewable by otherTumblr users when they are logged intoTumblr. Non-Tumblr users or Tumblr userswho are not logged in will not be able to viewyour child’s blog, even if they have a directURL link to your child’s blog.z To prevent Tumblr users from searching foryour child’s blog using your child’s emailaddress, navigate to Settings and turn offLet others find you by email.Note: The minimum age to use thisplatform is 13. Users must be 18 years oldor older to view content that has beenflagged as explicit. To report violations oftumblr’s restrictions click here.z To hide your child’s blog from Tumblr searchresults, navigate to Settings and selectVisibility. Turn on Hide [your child’s blogname] from search results.ConsumerResources.org

To adjust the personal information that isvisible on your child’s profile:z Navigate to their profile and select EditProfile.Twitter is a platform that allows users to createshort 280-character posts called Tweets,upload photos and videos, reply to otherusers’ tweets, message other users, and more.To adjust your child’s privacy and safetysettings:z Log into their Twitter account and navigateto Privacy & Safety Settings.z Choose Protect My Tweets and click Saveat the bottom of the page. You will beprompted to re-enter your child’s passwordto confirm any changes. After doing so, onlyfollowers of your child will be able to viewtheir Tweets, and any user wishing to followyour child must submit a Follow requestthat will need to be approved by your child.z On this page, you can edit your child’s name,biography, profile image, location, and otherpersonal information.z To hide your child’s location, simply deletethe information listed in the Location Field.z You can also choose to set your child’s birthdate, phone number, and email address toprivate.z After making any changes to your child’sprofile information, select Save at thebottom of the page to confirm thesechanges.Note: The minimum age to use thisplatform is 13. The accounts of thoseunder the age of 13 can be reported here.z It is Twitter’s default setting to hide Tweetsthat may contain sensitive media, butthis setting can be disabled. To ensure thatyour child’s account blocks sensitive media,navigate to Privacy & Safety Settings. Inthe Tweet Media section, ensure that theDisplay media that may contain sensitivecontent box is unchecked. Click Save toconfirm the changes.ConsumerResources.org

Parental Controls forMobile DevicesTips to enable controls on mobile devicesD E V I C E SAPPLE iPhoneTips include using controls provided on thedevice and offered separately by the cellphone service carrier. Note that separateparental control apps, other than thoseoffered by the carriers, are not addressedin this installment. Controls provided on thedevice and offered by the carrier may overlap.Therefore, you will want to determine whichavenues of achieving parental controls arebest for your situation.C A R R I E R S

APPLE iPhoneTo block iTunes and App Store purchases, goto Settings on your child’s device and selectScreen Time.z Choose Content & Privacy Restrictions andenter your new Screen Time passcode.iPhone (iOS 13.4 and Later)z Select iTunes & App Store Purchases.Screen Time settings allow parents to blockapps, features, explicit websites, iTunes, AppStore purchases, and more.z You can now choose Allow or Don’t Allowfor the following: Installing Apps, DeletingApps, and In-app Purchases.To activate Content & Privacy Restrictions, goto Settings on your child’s device and selectScreen Time.z You may also be required to enter the AppleID password of the purchasing account priorto any purchases or downloads from iTunesor the App Store. Under Require Password,choose Always Require or Don’t Require.z Tap Continue and then select This is MyChild’s [Device].z Choose Use Screen Time Passcode tocreate and confirm a new passcode forscreen time settings. Make sure that thepasscode is different from the passcodeyour child uses to log into their device.Anyone wishing to make changes to yourchild’s Screen Time settings will need thispasscode.z Go back to Content & Privacy Restrictionsand turn on Content & Privacy.z Now that Content & Privacy is activated, youcan block apps, purchases, websites, andmore on your child’s device.To block and allow specific apps and features,go to Settings on your child’s device and selectScreen Time.z Choose Content & Privacy Restrictions andenter your new Screen Time passcode.z Tap Allowed Apps.z Select the apps that you want to allow. Anyapps that you choose not to allow will behidden from your child’s home screen untilthey are allowed again.To block explicit content or content above acertain content rating, go to Settings on yourchild’s device and select Screen Time. Pleasenote that the below instructions apply tocontent in the iTunes Store and App Store only.z Choose Content & Privacy Restrictions andenter your new Screen Time passcode.z Tap Content Restrictions.z Tap Ratings For to select the country/regionwhose content ratings should be applied.z You can now choose the maximum rating forthe following: Music, Podcasts & News: Choose Cleanor Explicit. Music Profiles & Posts: Choose Off toprevent the automatic sharing of whatmusic your child listens to. Movies: Set the maximum content ratingto G, PG, PG-13, R, or NC-17. You may alsochoose Don’t Allow Movies.ConsumerResources.org

APPLE iPhone TV Shows: Set the maximum contentrating to TV-Y, TV-Y7, TV-Y7-FV, TV-G,TV-PG, TV-14, or TV-MA. You may alsochoose Don’t Allow TV Shows. Books: Choose Clean or Explicit. Apps: Set the age rating to 4 , 9 , 12 ,or 17 . You may also choose Don’t AllowApps.To filter and restrict explicit website content,go to Settings on your child’s device andselect Screen Time.z Choose Content & Privacy Restrictionsand enter your new Screen Time passcode.z Tap Content Restrictions and WebContent.z Choose from Unrestricted Access or LimitAdult Websites.z You may also choose Allowed WebsitesOnly and then enter specific websites underAlways Allow and Never Allow.To restrict what web searches your child canmake using Siri, go to Settings on your child’sdevice and select Screen Time.z Choose Content & Privacy Restrictionsand enter your new Screen Time passcode.z Choose Web Search Content to Allow orDon’t Allow Siri to search the web.z Choose Explicit Language to Allow or Don’tAllow Siri to display explicit language.To restrict what your child has access to inthe Game Center, go to Settings on yourchild’s device and select Screen Time. Pleasenote that this applies only to games availablethrough the Game Center.z Choose Content & Privacy Restrictions andenter your new Screen Time passcode.z Tap Game Center.z Choose Multiplayer Games to Allow orDon’t Allow your child to play multiplayergames.z Choose Adding Friends to Allow or Don’tAllow your child to add friends in GameCenter.z Choose Screen Recording to Allow or Don’tAllow your child to capture their screenwhile playing games.The above instructions can also beused to activate parental controls onyour child’s iPad and iPod Touch. Thesefeatures can also be activated throughyour own device by using Apple’s FamilySharing feature.z Tap Siri.ConsumerResources.org

Android (Android 10 and Later)Android phones use Google Play to accessapps, games, music, movies, and more. GooglePlay allows parents to set up parental controlsto restrict your child’s access to content.To set up parental controls for apps on yourchild’s device, open the Google Play Store.z Click the three horizontal bars in the upperleft hand corner of the home screen andchoose Settings.z Scroll to User Controls and turn on ParentalControls.z Enter a parental control PIN. Make sure it is acombination your child does not know.z To make future changes to parental controlssettings, your new PIN will be required. Music: Choose Restrict Music MarkedExplicit by Content Providers or AllowAll.To restrict apps on your child’s device, openthe Google Play Store and click the threehorizontal bars in the upper-left hand cornerto open the menu. Note that the below onlyapplies to content accessed through theGoogle Play Store.To prevent your child from purchasing apps orcontent without permission, open the GooglePlay Store and click the three horizontal bars inthe upper-left hand corner to open the menu.z Tap My Apps & Games.z Choose Settings.z Choose Installed and then delete any appsyou do not want your child to access.z Tap next to Require Authentication forPurchases to restrict purchases in theGoogle Play Store.z Go back to the menu and choose Settingsand then Parental Controls.z Under Set Content Restrictions, you mayrestrict the following content types for yourchild based on content ratings: Apps & Games: Set the age rating to 3 ,7 , 12 , 16 , or 18 . Movies: Set the content rating to G, PG,PG-13, R, or NC-17. TV: Set the content rating to TV-Y, TV-Y7,TV-Y7-FV, TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14, or TVMA. Books: Choose Restrict Sexually ExplicitBooks or Allow

parental controls, talk to your kids about why you are using them—to keep them safe online and help them establish reasonable usage limits. Be aware that the parental control tips provided herein are not 100% foolproof. Kids can undo parental controls and directions on ho