How can I protect my kid's privacy online?

There are several steps you can take to improve the privacy of your kids online. You can start here.  

1. Educate your children about online privacy

These resources are a great starting point:

• FTC — Protecting Kids Online — official government guidance for parents
• Common Sense Media — highly recommended, age-by-age guides on privacy, screen time, and online safety
• ConnectSafely.org — practical tips and guides for parents
• Internet Matters — step-by-step guides organized by age group

2. Know your child's legal privacy rights (COPPA)

Under the updated COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act), which took effect June 23, 2025, websites are required to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. COPPA 2.0 passed the Senate unanimously in March 2026 and would expand these protections to teens under 17. 

• FTC — COPPA information for parents
• Report a COPPA violation to the FTC

Set up parental controls on your child's devices:

• Parental controls on Apple devices (Screen Time)
• Parental controls on Android / Google devices (Family Link)
• Microsoft Family Safety (Windows & Xbox)

3. Create separate email addresses for your child

• Set up one email for formal use (school, trusted contacts) and a separate one for signing up to websites and apps
• Make sure you know your child's email addresses and passwords
• You can automatically forward all emails from your child's account to your own inbox — Gmail forwarding instructions here
• Consider using a service like Gmail or ProtonMail for added security

4. Use a privacy-friendly, kid-safe browser

The browsers recommended in the original text are outdated. Here are current options:

• SPIN Safe Browser — available for iOS and Android; blocks explicit content, ad trackers, cookies, and fingerprinting; free version available
• KidzSearch Safe Browser — powered by Google Safe Search with additional filtering; available for iOS and Android; no account required
• Microsoft Edge Kids Mode — built into Microsoft Edge on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android; password-protected with SafeSearch
• Google Family Link — lets parents control and monitor Chrome browsing on Android and Chromebook devices

5. Use a kid-friendly search engine

These search engines filter out inappropriate results:

• Kiddle.co — visual search engine for kids, powered by Google Safe Search with extra filtering
• KidzSearch.com — safe search for kids with additional content filtering
• DuckDuckGo — privacy-focused search engine for older kids and teens that doesn't track searches

6. Additional tips 

• AI tools and chatbots: Educate your children about not sharing personal information with AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Snapchat's My AI. Most are not designed for young children and are not covered by COPPA
• Social media age limits: Most social media platforms require users to be at least 13. Help your child understand why these limits exist and the privacy risks of signing up younger
• Talk about phishing and scams: Teach children never to click links in unexpected emails or texts, and never to share passwords, home addresses, or school information online