How do you know if online programs and services are safe? Part 3: Safety framework is the second leg of the safety stool

If a company wants to provide a safer Internet experience then they have to build a safer Internet experience; it doesn’t happen by accident. Just as streets have sidewalks, stoplights, and warning signs to help make them safer, Internet companies have to build safety features into their products and services.

Companies should clearly set out exactly what they’ve done to create a safer environment and explain how you can use the tools they’ve put in place to create a safer experience.  If a company has not integrated safety into its service, consider the risks you may be exposed to before you sign up.

The site’s safety information should answer these questions to your satisfaction:

• What safety features are built in? For example, are there parental controls? Can you filter the type of content you want (or don't want) to see? Can you control who can and cannot see what you write? Are you warned about potentially fraudulent Web sites? Does the site actively monitor and remove bad content or users?
• Is the product or service preset to a certain level of risk—and if so how high? For example, many blogging or social networking services  make blogs or profiles available to everyone by default. Anyone who wants less exposure must figure out how to change this setting (often not an easy task). (Companies should not choose anyone's safety level - child or adult—but rather make it possible to choose this for yourself.)
• Can you easily find safety and privacy settings? Can you easily change them to match the types of content and level of risk or safety that’s right for you?

Linda

P.S. If you complain, changes are more likely to happen faster. Read how hundreds of thousands of Facebook users got the company to change its policy and safety features.

Go back to Part 2 (safety education). Read Part 4 (safety framework).