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Most children know “don’t talk to strangers”. Fewer know that a photo or a school badge can tell a stranger just as much. Here is a short list, words to use when someone asks, and a settings check to do together.
What should my child never share online?
UNICEF’s online safety advice for children is direct: “Don’t share personal information like your address, phone number or bank details,” and don’t share passwords “with anyone – not even with close friends!” (UNICEF Parenting). As a list a child can remember:
Home address, including the society name, flat number or “the building near the temple”.
School name and class, including in a profile bio (“Class 8B”) or in a photo showing the uniform badge.
Live location, whether a map pin, a live-location share or check-ins at everyday places.
Phone number, OTPs and passwords, even to a best friend. A password is like a toothbrush: yours alone.
Photos that give away the first four: your building gate, the school bus number, a tuition centre signboard, the view from a bedroom window.
Add the family’s own details to the list too: a parent’s bank or UPI details, and Aadhaar or other ID numbers.
Why can a photo give away where my child is?
A phone can store where a photo was taken inside the file. Apple explains that when Location Services is on for the Camera app, the phone uses information from “cellular, Wi-Fi, GPS networks, and Bluetooth to determine the location coordinates where the photo or video is taken” (Apple Support). On an iPhone you can remove it before sending: tap Share, then Options, and turn off Location, and the screen shows “Location Not Included”. To stop it for good: Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, Camera, Never.
The background matters too. Before your child posts, ask together: could someone find this place from this photo?
What should my child say when someone asks?
Many children share simply because they have never practised saying no politely. Practise these aloud:
A new friend in a game asks which school they go to: “I don’t share that online. Which level are you on?”
Someone asks for a photo: “No photos. My family has a rule.”
A friend asks for their password “just to check something”: “Passwords stay with me. I’ll show you on my screen.”
Someone asks them to keep a chat secret or move to another app: “I’m going to ask my parent first.” Then they tell you.
Someone “from the bank” or a game company wants a code: “I don’t give codes. My parent will call you back.”
Tell your child that coming to you will not mean losing the phone. If telling leads to punishment, children may stop telling.
How do we check privacy settings together?
Sit side by side with your child holding the phone, so they learn where the settings live.
Live location. On an Android phone managed with Google Family Link, children under 13 (or the applicable age in your country) “can only share their real-time location with their parents” (Google For Families Help). For older children, stop any live-location share still running in chat and map apps. Our guide to setting safe limits when a teen shares live location on apps covers this in more detail.
Camera location. Turn it off, or practise removing location when sharing, as above.
Profiles. Open every bio and remove school, class, area and age. On Instagram, every teen under 16 (under 18 in some countries) is placed in a private account on joining, and adults are restricted from starting private chats with teens they are not connected to (Instagram’s guide for parents). Check together that the account is still private.
Passwords. Each important account gets its own password, with recovery going to a parent’s email or number.
Followers. Scroll the lists together and remove anyone your child has not met in real life.
Repeat this each school term, and whenever a new app arrives.
What if my child has already shared something?
Stay calm. Delete the post, change any shared password and use the app’s report button. If someone is threatening your child or asking for photos or money, don’t reply; take screenshots. In India, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal lets you report cybercrime with a special focus on crimes against women and children, and the national cybercrime helpline is 1930 (Press Information Bureau). If your child stays very upset or anxious afterwards, call the free 24/7 Tele MANAS helpline on 14416 (Press Information Bureau) or speak to a doctor.
For codes and fake calls, read how to teach your child not to share OTPs and avoid scams. For a younger child, start with how to talk to a 10-year-old about online safety.
If most of your child’s time online is schoolwork, Fermi’s AI tutor works out what a student already knows and builds a plan for the session, so study time online starts with a clear next step.
Write the five-item list on a card and stick it near where your child charges their phone.
