Police issue advice on use of social networking
Friday, 1st October 2010.
Suffolk police are offering some simple pieces of advice to users of social networking sites to try to prevent people becoming victims of online crime.
Social networking is continuously growing in popularity, with the number of users of sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Twitter increasing all the time.
Over 19 million people in the UK use Facebook, so if you do not use the site yourself then it is likely you know someone who does. Suffolk Constabulary has its own page on the site, which has been running since April 2010 and currently has around 900 members.
The sites, which are very popular with young people and adults alike, allow users to stay in touch online, share photos, comments, opinions and generally exchange personal content online, but users must be careful that they are not revealing more than they should.
Ch Insp Kerry Pauling of community safety said: “Social networking sites represent a real threat of online crime and those using them should be aware of the associated risks, such as disclosure of private information, cyber stalking, cyber-bullying and also the serious risks of loss of privacy and identity theft.”
Suffolk Constabulary is recommending that everyone follows a few simple pieces of advice to help protect your privacy and enjoy using social network sites:
· Keep your profile private and only allow your friends to view it.
· Be wary of publishing any identifying information about yourself. In particular things like: phone numbers, email address, pictures of your home, workplace or school, your address, birthday or full name.
· Be careful about what images and messages you post, even among trusted friends - once they are online they can be shared widely and are extremely difficult to get removed.
· If someone is being abusive or behaving in a threatening manner then report them to the service provider.
· Block or delete people from your contacts list if they are causing you problems or you are concerned about their behaviour.
· Use a strong password and do not keep copies of your passwords on the hardive of your computer.
· Do not announce when you are going on holiday.
Ch Insp Pauling said: “By taking a few simple precautions you can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim of online crime. Remember, you are in control of how public or how private you want your page to be, so learn how to use the site you have chosen.
"Use the privacy features the site offers and restrict strangers from accessing your profile. Although social networking sites are for sharing it is important to be careful about what information you are sharing and who you are sharing it with.”
Anyone promoting illegal activity or behaving in a threatening manner should be reported to the service provider, or if someone is in immediate danger then the police should be contacted.
For more information:
Visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk or www.getsafeonline.org for more advice on
using social networking sites safely.
Social networking is continuously growing in popularity, with the number of users of sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Twitter increasing all the time.
Over 19 million people in the UK use Facebook, so if you do not use the site yourself then it is likely you know someone who does. Suffolk Constabulary has its own page on the site, which has been running since April 2010 and currently has around 900 members.
The sites, which are very popular with young people and adults alike, allow users to stay in touch online, share photos, comments, opinions and generally exchange personal content online, but users must be careful that they are not revealing more than they should.
Ch Insp Kerry Pauling of community safety said: “Social networking sites represent a real threat of online crime and those using them should be aware of the associated risks, such as disclosure of private information, cyber stalking, cyber-bullying and also the serious risks of loss of privacy and identity theft.”
Suffolk Constabulary is recommending that everyone follows a few simple pieces of advice to help protect your privacy and enjoy using social network sites:
· Keep your profile private and only allow your friends to view it.
· Be wary of publishing any identifying information about yourself. In particular things like: phone numbers, email address, pictures of your home, workplace or school, your address, birthday or full name.
· Be careful about what images and messages you post, even among trusted friends - once they are online they can be shared widely and are extremely difficult to get removed.
· If someone is being abusive or behaving in a threatening manner then report them to the service provider.
· Block or delete people from your contacts list if they are causing you problems or you are concerned about their behaviour.
· Use a strong password and do not keep copies of your passwords on the hardive of your computer.
· Do not announce when you are going on holiday.
Ch Insp Pauling said: “By taking a few simple precautions you can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim of online crime. Remember, you are in control of how public or how private you want your page to be, so learn how to use the site you have chosen.
"Use the privacy features the site offers and restrict strangers from accessing your profile. Although social networking sites are for sharing it is important to be careful about what information you are sharing and who you are sharing it with.”
Anyone promoting illegal activity or behaving in a threatening manner should be reported to the service provider, or if someone is in immediate danger then the police should be contacted.
For more information:
Visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk or www.getsafeonline.org for more advice on
using social networking sites safely.
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