- Define and explain Private Stays Private in your own words
- Use key terms such as personal information accurately
- Apply what you have learned to new examples and questions
- Avoid the common mistakes learners make with this topic
This lesson focuses on Private Stays Private: decide which personal details are safe to share online and which must stay secret.
Decide which personal details are safe to share online and which must stay secret.
Key ideas
Think before you share
Ask yourself: would I be happy if this photo or message was shown to my whole school? Personal information — your address, school name or location — should never be posted publicly, because you cannot control who sees it or saves it.
Stop, block and tell
If a message upsets you, a stranger asks for personal details, or something feels wrong, stop replying, block the person and tell a trusted adult straight away. You will never be in trouble for reporting something that worries you — telling is always the brave choice.
Key term — personal information: Details that identify you, such as your full name, address, school, phone number or photos of your face.
Mia's password is 'mia123'. Show why it is weak and build a better one.
'mia123' uses her name, which anyone who knows her can guess — never use your name, pet or birthday. It is only 6 characters long — short passwords are quick for attackers to try out. Pick three random words instead, for example 'tiger', 'pencil' and 'moon' — long but easy to remember. Join them with dashes: 'tiger-pencil-moon' — 17 characters that no one could guess from knowing Mia.
Answer: 'tiger-pencil-moon' is strong because it is long, random and personal to nobody; 'mia123' is weak because it is short and built from Mia's own name.
- Sharing a password with a friend Correction: keep every password secret, even from friends — friendships change, but a shared password stays shared.
- Posting photos in school uniform with the school name visible Correction: check photos for clues like badges and street signs before posting, and keep accounts private.
Practice
Do not answer — your school is personal information. Stop chatting and tell a trusted adult.
Anyone using the computer next could read your messages or pretend to be you, so always log out.
Do not click — it is almost certainly a trick to steal details or install something nasty. Delete it and tell an adult.
False — if the photo was posted or sent, other people may already have saved or shared it.
Quick check
Which of these best defines "personal information"?
Your friend posts an embarrassing photo of you without asking. What is the kind thing to do if the roles were reversed?
Which password is strongest: 'fred', 'fred2001', or 'cloud-drum-apple'?
- Private Stays Private: decide which personal details are safe to share online and which must stay secret.
- Think before you share: Ask yourself: would I be happy if this photo or message was shown to my whole school? Personal information — your address, school name or location — should never be posted publicly, because you cannot control who sees it or saves it.
- password: A secret word or phrase that proves you are you when you log in.
- Watch out for: sharing a password with a friend