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EDMONTON — With schools back in full swing, RCMP are reminding young people to protect their digital reputations and think carefully about what they share online.
Alberta RCMP are sharing online safety tips throughout September, warning online activity can have lasting consequences in the real world.
Police say young people should remember everything they do online contributes to a digital footprint, including websites they visit, messages they send and posts they share.
Even disappearing messages can become permanent, and deleting something does not guarantee it is gone. Screenshots, downloads and reposts can preserve material, while future employers, schools and others may be able to see a person’s online activity.
RCMP are also urging youth to be cautious about sharing personal information, including the name of their school, sports teams, location or daily routine. Police say those details could be used to determine someone’s whereabouts or learn more about them.
Young people are also being reminded to get consent before posting or sending photos or information about someone else.
Police say the safest option is to never share explicit images of yourself. Sharing, forwarding or posting explicit images involving youth, even when an image was originally shared consensually, may result in criminal charges.
RCMP are also warning about the growing ability to manipulate images using artificial intelligence.
Police say any image can potentially be used to create a deepfake, while creating, sharing or distributing explicit deepfake images can cause significant harm and may carry the same consequences as sharing real explicit images.
RCMP recommend young people use the privacy and safety settings available on their accounts, set accounts to private, review who can contact them or view their profiles and disable location sharing when it is not needed.
They also recommend limiting app permissions for cameras and microphones and entering the correct date of birth on accounts so youth safety features are available where offered.
“If something online makes you uncomfortable, pressured, threatened, or unsafe, speak to a trusted adult and report the behaviour through the platform,” said Const. Scott Sterling of the ALERT Internet Child Exploitation Unit.
“By being thoughtful about your online presence and knowing where to find help, you can better protect your privacy, safety, and wellbeing online. Mistakes may happen or your online preferences may change, but help is always available.”
RCMP say parents and guardians can help by maintaining open conversations with young people about their online activity, digital reputations and safe online behaviour.
Police say creating a supportive environment can make it easier for youth to seek help when something goes wrong online.
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