Contact

Contact via the Internet can mean that people have access to people and groups anywhere in the world. This can often have very positive advantages however, be aware that if you are making contact with people you do not know, you should limit the amount of personal information that can be viewed. Unprotected personal profiles could make you subject to online grooming, racial hatred, online bullying and potential assault.
If you feel unsure about contact that you have made via the Internet please report the person either to the police, your parents (if applicable), your Tutor or a member of Student Services at the College. If the contact has been made via a social networking site such as Facebook, MySpace or Bebo, you can report the user via the website.

Content

It should be remembered that once any information/photographs are posted on social networking sites they become the property of the site. This means that although the image/information may be deleted by you, a copy of it is still owned by the respective site and you no longer have control of this information/image. If you publish inappropriate material online you are at risk of prosecution. For example, inappropriate images of a child, criminally obscene content or content containing or inciting racial hatred.

Commerce

Please be aware that it is very easy to be drawn into online gambling, financial scams and inappropriate advertising. Remember if it appears to be too good to be true it will be too good to be true! Be careful about signing up for offers using bank cards/credit cards without reading all the terms and conditions. Do not publish your personal details or financial details online without being sure it is a secure website. This is normally indicated by the padlock sign on the webpage.

Conduct

Sometimes people carry out activities which are deliberately meant to upset, offend or intimidate someone. These could be via a social networking site, a website or mobile phones. Cyber-bullying is a real issue; if you believe you are being bullied please talk to your Tutor, parent (if applicable) or someone from Student Services.