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What is personal information?

We all know our own names and where we live. We know the date of our birthday and how old we are. We know what food we like and who makes us laugh on TV.

This type of information is called personal information because it is all about a very special person - you!

When do we share personal information?

We can share personal information when we visit family, talk on the phone or play with friends at school.

We can also share personal information when we use computers, phones, tablets and games consoles to play games or chat with people using an app.

We can use these digital devices to share information with other people because they are connected to the internet.

Keeping personal information private

Some types of personal information can tell others exactly who you are and how to find you.

This type of information would include:

• your first name and last name
• the date of your birthday
• your home address
• your photo

We should always make sure any personal information that could tell others who we are is kept private.

Keeping something private means only sharing it with a few people you know and trust.

A trusted adult might be a family member like a parent, older brother or sister, or an aunt or uncle.

It could also be an adult who works at your school like a teacher. Trusting someone means that you know they will look after you and keep you safe.

It's very important not to share private information with anyone we don't know, even if they are friendly or already know some things about us, like our name.

Usernames and passwords

When we play a computer game or use an app we often need a username and a password.

A username is a nickname you make to play a game or use an app. It helps to keep your real name private.

A password is a secret word that only you know. It might have jumbled up numbers and letters, to make it hard for someone to guess. Having a secret password means only you can login.

Usernames and passwords are both types of personal information. We use them to help us keep our personal information private.

Keeping passwords private

It is very important to keep passwords private and not share them, even with friends.

A friend might ask to use your computer game password, if they forget their own. But, you should keep it private.

If you share it with anyone other than a trusted adult, they might pass it on to someone else and you may not be able to login to your game, or app anymore.

Glossary

Here are the meanings of some important words:

Computer - A device that can follow instructions stored in its memory.
Digital device - A machine that has a computer inside.
Internet - A giant network of computers connected across the world.
Private - Sharing something with only a small trusted group of people.
Personal information - Information that could be used to identify someone.
Username - A nickname used to login to a game, app or account.
Password - A secret series of letters, numbers and symbols used to keep an account private.
Trusted adult - An adult that you know and will keep you safe.

Activities