Photos and videos of you naked or underdressed do not belong online. The same applies for your personal information.

Unfortunately, once an information is put online, it's hard to undo the action. Also, don’t confide your passwords to anyone and don’t talk to strangers you’ve met online. If someone is blackmailing you, seek help.

The moment you post a picture, you lose control of it!

Posting photos and videos to tell others where we went on holiday and how we spend our free time is, in principle, not a problem. But we shouldn't reveal too much information about ourselves.

Many times photos are shared and posted online showing people - even children and teenagers - naked or poorly dressed. Because of these photos, they can later become victims of further abuse and blackmail.

It often happens that such photos are sent to various users of various social networks and chat rooms. People on the other side can then forward the photo or post it on various websites.

In such a case, it is impossible to get the photo or video back or delete it, as we never know who saved or forwarded it.

Advice from police for greater security online

• Do not share your personal information or disclose location

We believe that you are excited about a 14-day trip to Iceland, which you went on with your parents, or about a weekend break by the sea. Such information, which we share publicly on social networks, can lead to villains visiting our home during our relaxing vacation, and when we arrive home, a looted apartment awaits us.

• Pay attention to what you post online

The moment a photo is posted on social media or sent via various apps, we lose control of it. The photos of us lying casually on the beach in our swimsuits do not belong on the internet.

• Protect your password

The password you have to access various web applications is yours alone. Don't trust anyone. The password should be long and complex enough, but if you suspect that someone has hacked into your profile, change your password immediately.

• Violence happening online is also violence!

 At school, children are often victims of peer violence, which can be transmitted online - in various chat rooms, applications, forums. Violence that takes place online is also violence, although not physically visible, but it has the same, if not more serious, consequences.

• Never meet a person you met online live. Trust your feelings.

In chat rooms or social networks, you can often come across people with whom you talk about everything. You feel that you have found a person who understands you, respects you and has good intentions with you. You soon share some photos and also arrange a live meeting.

However, we advise you to never meet a person you have met online. If you still want to meet, tell your parents or at least friends about it. The meeting should take place in a public place, but if your feelings let you know that the person is not what they pretended to be in your conversations and that the conversation is not going in the direction you wanted and expected, withdraw immediately and make sure you are safe.

• Talk to your parents or another adult about the problems you have encountered on the internet. You can also call the police.

And if you still find yourself in trouble because of your posts or contacts online? We advise you to contact your parents or another adult for help. You can also contact the Police or the organization Spletno oko (Web Eye)  for advice.

Save all evidence of communication with the perpetrator and do not delete it, even if you feel ashamed and it would be easier if no one saw it. Evidence can be various photos sent to you by the perpetrator, videos, comments, emails.

Take a print-screen of the conversation or take a picture with your mobile phone or camera.

Save as much information as possible about the alleged perpetrator at the time of communication (social media profiles, names and nicknames he uses, other social media accounts he still uses, various information he told you indirectly).

You can ask your service provider to remove the recording or communications from the web. For help in this case, you can contact the police or Awareness Centre  Safe.si.

When the person you are talking to on social media starts extorting, never respond to the bully and end the conversation.

Report the situation you are in to the police as soon as possible.

Related content

Internet security
Awareness centre SAFE.SI 
Cyber violence and sexual abuse of children online
Spletno oko (Web Eye)