Internet Safety

This past week, I received several emails "from LinkedIn" indicating that someone from Bardstown, Kentucky requested a "reset password" link in the wee hours of the morning. I shared this information on Threads and in our Out Tech Your K…

I know we're all still in New Year's resolutions mode, whether you're purging and recycling old tech , embarking on a family tech detox , or committing to more books and audiobooks and less mindless doomscrolling. But if there's one thin…

This week's Washington Post article about the teenage boy sextortion scam by Chris Moody is all I've been thinking about. In part because I know a kid who was targeted in this way, and it was a terrible situation. But to learn that this …

We know many so many families who love online gaming for its temporary escape into cool unique realms and the connection with others who love to play as much as we do. But sometimes real-world problems can follow us into our online games…

Thinking about leaving Twitter ? (Are we calling it Twexit yet?) With the big changeover in management this week, some Twitter users are leaving , some users are staying , and your choice is up to you. Either way, it's good idea to downl…

You may have seen this hilarious sketch on SNL that has a bunch of adults using the app BeReal during a rather tense situation. (if you haven't seen it yet, go watch now! I'll wait.) This sketch does a great job explaining what BeReal is…

Recently, Meta announced it would be launching new parental safety controls for teens in the form of tools and resources for both the Instagram social media app and their Meta Quest VR gaming headsets. The goal is to help parents better …

We've officially hit the point of full Apple product saturation in our household -- and as so many parents in our Out Tech Your Kids community tell us, they have too. So what do you do when you're all basically on Apple devices, your kid…

With the new year here, it's a good time for a refresher on how to make strong passwords and help keep them safe. With phishing still on the rise , ever-present social media hacks , and general security breaches and unsavory shenanigans,…

We're all talking about "that" Wall Street Journal article about Instagram: Facebook Knows It's Toxic for Teen Girls . You're probably talking about it. Or your kids are. I know it's all we've been seeing in our social feeds this week ar…

This week in our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook group , we were asked how to prevent a Facebook hack, and specifically, if were any security measures to take that might help. And yes, yes there are! Here, a few really simple tips to help pr…

Have you noticed lately there's been a huge uptick in text spam? So of course, I want to report it to...someone. Anyone! Turns out it's so much easier than I had expected. Now when I say text spam, I don't mean political candidates you'v…

With the news last week that Zoom had some big security concerns to patch up, educators of all kinds started seeking out Zoom alternatives for schools and other kinds of remote learning. Especially after the NYC DOE took the big step of …

If you've got a kid on an iPhone or an iPad, this week's iOS 13.3 update (as well as iPad OS 13.3 )has some serious parental controls that we think you'll be happy to know about. Introducing Communication Limits Starting his week, there'…

Our team watched this CNN Business video with our jaw dropped when we saw how easily hacker Rachel Tobac was able to get information about journalist Donie O' Sullivan . Just from looking at his social media, she was able to do everythin…

With someone who's got two teens on Instagram, I was pleased to hear that they recently added Restrict, an anti-bullying feature that, as Instagram describes, "allows users to quietly protect their account while still keeping an eye on t…

Our social media feeds are blowing up photos from the FaceApp, thanks to the new FaceApp Challenge, but is it safe? If you'e missed the buzz, this hilarious (ish) app lets you upload a photo to the app, then edits it using AI filters so …

We know how helpful the Amazon Alexa can be for busy families, and over the years, we've shared a ton of helpful skills right here on Cool Mom Tech. From fitness to meal planning , even budgeting , there are no shortage of cool uses for …

I've been a Mac convert for many years now, and one of the big reasons I switched was due to all the Malware issues I was experiencing with my PCs. Macs are safer! You've probably heard someone tell you that, right? But if you're under t…

Healthcare data breach html I have no idea why I haven't been seeing this massive healthcare data breach in the news, which impacts customers of companies like Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp. But when I saw a letter come in the mail from …

Yesterday, I spent a good two hours live tweeting the bigger Apple announcements at their 2019 developer conference that would be of interest to parents. Like, news about parental controls, photo sharing, and home security? Yes please! N…

This is a sponsored message from Relay So many parents want their kids to have the safety and security of a phone, especially over the summer when kids have a little more freedom, and a little more run-around-outside time. And yet, those…

With lots of tweens and teens using Facebook's WhatsApp as a way to communicate, not to mention parents, especially those of us who travel a fair amount, we were very concerned about the cybersecurity breach on Monday. Users were left vu…

If you tend to stick to hard and fast time-limited screen time rules with your preschooler, it might actually be a good thing. According to a recent study at the University of Alberta , kids by the age of 5 who spent two hours or more lo…

While parents are still freaking out about Snapchat and the Momo challenge, the truth is there are some risky apps for kids that can fly right under our radar. Some of them seem completely innocuous -- while some are clearly bad news wai…

We can't tell you how much debate we've seen over the simple question, "when is my kid ready for a smartphone?" It brings out nearly as much stress, passion and well, sanctimony, as questions about breastfeeding or sleep training. Well, …

As part of our Ultimate Guide to Digital Parenting , we know that a top question from parents is the best way to set screen time rules when we're at home. And we've got so many helpful approaches for you! Because bringing gadgets into yo…

As part of our Ultimate Guide to Digital Parenting , answering parents' top questions about family technology, we're sharing the best services and tools to help you monitor your kids on their gadgets. While most routers, phones, tablets …

We couldn't create an Ultimate Guide to Digital Parenting without including tips about how to keep your kids safe on social media. After all, for our tweens and teens, the Internet is social media, and they could sooner give up the games…

If you've been on Facebook over the last few days, you've probably been bombarded with no shortage of articles about the Momo Challenge. Admittedly, it looks pretty disconcerting on first glance, and after the 15th, you kind of want to t…

In what seems to be a never ending issue with Facebook and privacy, the latest news is that Facebook has been receiving data from apps from users who do not even have a Facebook account. And one of the 11 apps that has been discovered so…

Keeping our kids safe and healthy is our number one job as parents. And with so many of them using smartphones and other electronic devices, their online safety has become a huge part of that. At Cool Mom Tech, we have always provided pa…

As parents, we try to keep an eye on what our kids are doing online to help keep them safe, but we can't be over their shoulders all the time. Nor should we be! That's why we're always grateful for online parental controls of all kinds, …

If you thought your kids tech-savvy as toddlers, it's amazing to see how quickly they pick up video games when they get a little older. They know what's hot and what's not faster than Mario with a super star power-up. Turns out there are…

The good news: most teens know that sexting is a crime. The bad news: older teens are less likely to think sexting will have negative consequences. All this from a new study about teens and sexting, conducted by researchers at Boston Uni…

As Twitter has just informed all 330,000,000 of its users in an apologetic but so far underreported post, you should really change your Twitter password right now, this very second. Not to be alarmist -- but out of an abundance of precau…

It's not surprising that as of late, there's been a magnifying glass on privacy issues when it comes to technology, particularly as it relates to kids. Remember those WIFI-connected stuffed animals ? Yikes. Well, in a recent study, resea…

With all the recent data breaches and Facebook privacy issues , we're getting lots of questions about private browsing, also known as "incognito mode." Should you be using it? If you already do, is your information safe? Here's what you …

After this recent Facebook data-mining scandal, we know that many users are feeling conflicted about staying on the platform. And we're seeing various articles and reports, from whether you should leave altogether to why you should stay …

Raising digital kids, we parents all want to raise them to be good digital citizens, make wise choices, never bully, never be bullied, use their platforms for good, and be the change we want to see in the world. Not much to ask for, righ…

By now, everyone knows about Snapchat and kids right? It's like Snapchat has come to epitomize the "watch out for kids and their apps." But the truth is, there are so so many apps that can get kids into trouble, and it's hard to keep up …

We're all learning about new technology right along with our kids, which can put us at a bit of a disadvantage. Darn those growing brains. And if you've ever gotten a new cell phone and seen how much more your kid knows about it than you…

When we were Apple newbies, my kids racked up quite a collection of paid apps before I realized what was happening. And I wasn't the only one. Apple ended up refunding lots of parents money for apps their kids bought . Then they set up t…

My internet at home has been so slow lately, so I recently upgraded to the top-of-the-line WiFi option our cable company offers. Even still, our service can get spotty when 6 people all arrive home, and want to get online at the same tim…

When Snapchat (or just Snap , as it's being called these days) rolled out it's Snap Map feature earlier this summer, there was a lot of buzz about the safety risks it could present, especially with so many younger users. Basically, the S…

A recent survey of more than 1600 U.K. kids revealed some fascinating results when it comes to kids' online behavior , leading the UK’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) to make some pretty strong recomme…

We all issued a collective gasp around here this week, reading about the online game called Blue Whale , A.K.A. The Suicide Game. And of course right away I was hoping it was a big hoax. When I checked out the details, I was kind of hopi…

Just when we parents were worried about all those scary parody videos on YouTube , an eight-year-old boy watched a regular old driving how-to video and decided to hit the road with his sister for a McDonald's stop. Nope, we're not kiddin…

Phishing cons are getting increasingly sophisticated, as even my tech-savvy boyfriend and I did a double take at this Netflix phishing email -- before realizing it was complete crap. The goal, as with most phishing emails: To get you to …

With the recent CloudPets hack , and others like it (remember Hello Barbie ?), it's becoming clearer that smart toys, particularly the stuffed animal kind, could pose a privacy risk that parents should know about. Don't get us wrong, we …

There have been plenty of times I've been stuck with a low charge on my smart phone or tablet, especially when I'm traveling, and have used one of those public charging ports to juice my device up again. Well, you might want to skip thos…

If you own an Internet-connected VIZIO smart television, you might have heard that they've been collecting data on your viewing habits for years, and surprise, it's a serious breach of privacy. We took a close look at the reports and the…

Online privacy is becoming harder and harder to wrangle. Remember Spokeo ? Well, recently there's been a ton of buzz about a newish site called Family Tree Now . It's been around for a couple years, but within the last 24 hours I have he…

We share a lot about Internet privacy and talking to kids about web safety here on Cool Mom Tech, because we're parents too, and let's just say parenting in the digital age is no easy feat. Sometimes, it can be downright scary. That's wh…

I'm sure I'm not the only one who always finds it a little disconcerting when an item I was shopping for on the web pops up as a Facebook ad. Well, get ready to see more of that on Google, unless you opt-out of their new privacy policy. …

As much as I love social media, I'm also aware of how scary of a place it can be, whether it's dealing with annoying comment trolls or full-blown cyberbullying. That's why I'm really pleased that Facebook has listened to the concerns we'…

A few years ago, we warned parents about Whisper , a free app that allows users to post about anything and everything anonymously, then connect in groups based on interests and location. But recently, a Denver teen was lured by a sex off…

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard something about Pokemon Go , the new, free app that's blowing up the Internet. In fact, it's about to take over Twitter in user activity. Seriously. We've been getting lots of…

Parents are always asking us how to monitor the safety of their kids online. Combine that with social media, and it can be really overwhelming for parents to know how to educate their kids while still keeping track of their activity. And…

Just a few days ago while perusing new Cool Mom Picks Instagram followers (hey, thanks new followers!), I clicked over to the Sesame Place Instagram feed and noticed something pretty surprising in their bio: Photos using #sesameplace bec…

A lot of our readers have been asking us about Circle with Disney , a new device on that market designed to connect to your WiFi specifically to help parents monitor their kids' internet usage and manage screen time. We were really curio…

We're continuing our series about kids and cell phones on behalf of our sponsor, the premium authorized Verizon retailer, Cellular Sales , because wow, do parents need help with this! And by parents, we mean, ourselves too! Because we kn…

One of the most frequent questions we're asked at Cool Mom Tech is at what age we think kids are ready to get their first cell phones. And, well, the short answer is... it depends. Unfortunately, it's not an easy fill in a number here an…

It seems the whole National Do Not Call Registry isn't always effective. Legit marketers have a lot of loopholes; charities, pollsters, political fundraisers and others are exempt; and then there are those shady marketers who simply don'…

Trying to manage my three kids' time spent and content viewed on all of the various devices we have in this house is one of the most thankless, naggy job out there. They don't fully understand why I say "no" to the newest app, or why You…

This is a sponsored message for Webroot No matter how much you or your family is online, the last thing you want to worry about is malware, viruses, and data and identity theft. That's where the award-winning Webroot security software co…

Everyone's favorite photo-sharing app rocked the parenting world yesterday when they announced the possibility of banning all photos of minors on Instagram . Our Twitter and Facebook feeds were going nuts, as you can totally imagine. Evi…

See below for a breaking update about the Burnbook app If you haven't yet heard of the Burnbook app , it's the latest anonymous social app that's causing a stir among teens and parents and even law enforcement around the country. Next in…

It's been a whole year since we discovered unlicensed Plastic Surgery Barbie apps for kids that made wonder what the freaking heck is wrong with people, and now, hooray! Here comes another series of games to file under Kids Games That Ma…

Remember when we had to buy magazines like Tiger Beat to get the scoop on our teen crushes? These days, tweens can get up-to-the-minute details on their favorite Instagram and Vine stars, right on their smartphones. ( Niall, Harry, Liam,…

This is a sponsored message from F-Secure Freedome The trouble with Internet security in public places is that it often leads to a lot of nervous insecurity for the user. After all, how private could searches and page visits really be wh…

We've covered the Snapchat app extensively since its launch, and it's grown to be extremely popular with tweens and teens, and now even brands are jumping into the app, finding new ways to promote to users there. Now that Snapchat has an…

As someone who uses all Apple gadgets, including an iPhone, iPad, and my precious MacBook Air , I've had my eye on the news about the Apple security hole that was discovered on Friday. But now it seems to be affecting more applications t…

We finally decided to give our sixth grader a smart phone. And while I think the good has outweighed the bad so far, I really wasn't prepared for how complicated things would get -- and how quickly it would happen. So I can see why imple…

Eye scanning and facial recognition technology seems like something you only see in classic Schwarzzeneger and Tom Cruise movies. But with the introduction of HoyosID, at CES 2014 , going all Mission Impossible with our phones is in our …

This week, parents--and anyone else with an iota of common sense--expressed outrage over the discovery of the Barbie Plastic Surgery App , whose name was soon changed to Barbara for legal reasons. As for ethical changes? Not so much. The…

As if we haven't already learned that everything lasts for ever, even a selfie on Snapchat , another app developer is pushing boundaries with a copycat version though this one gives the user a little more control. Presumably. If you have…

If you hadn't already figure it out, we here at Cool Mom Tech are huge advocates of talking to your kids about technology early and often, and that's exactly what our Editor Kristen told the Christian Science Monitor for their cover stor…

Just a few weeks ago, we featured four apps kids are using that parents should know about , and noted that SnapChat was decreasing in popularity--which gives us a small sigh of relief. But with a brand new app release this week, we're th…

Parenting tweens and teens is challenging enough, but the prevalence of tech in most kids' lives makes it that much more important for parents to try and stay one step ahead. Where safe internet browsing was once our biggest concern, now…

Just about every day, I have a moment where I'm grateful social media wasn't around when I was a teen or pre-teen. Don't get me wrong; technology is a major positive in my life and in my kids' lives. But it's also kind of scary to think …

If you have recently upgraded to a new tablet and want to hand off the older model to your lucky kids, there are a couple safety measures we recommend you put into place to make your tablets safe for kids. Even the older models are still…

What's the best search engine for kids, in your experience? -via Twitter Keeping kids safe online should be a huge priority for parents. When it comes to kid-safe search, there are actually a lot of good options out there. Since you didn…

Is there a safe kids' browser that I can put on my iPad or phone for my son? Or do I have to just find a way to block sites on Safari somehow? Thanks! -Ellen K Ellen, we get the need for a safe kids browser for your devices! We also unde…

With all these Facebook updates coming in rapid succession, including ones to my beloved Instagram app , it can be hard to keep up with all the changes. So when we heard about the new Graph Search announced just yesterday, we had our fin…

My pre-teen wants an iPad or Kindle Fire for Christmas. Are there good Internet filters available for these devices? -Karen Hi Karen, great question! Yes, with kids bogarting our tablets and quite a few getting one for the holiday, we th…

This morning, our editor Liz Gumbinner talked to the TODAY Show about the pitfalls of SnapChat , the most popular app you've probably never heard of. But you should. Especially if you're the parent of a teen. Also known as the "sexting a…

It was kind of fun to log onto Pinterest today and see a message about the new secret boards. In case you haven't checked it out, we've got the scoop plus some fun ideas on what to do with yours. Because unfortunately, they're not unlimi…

If you've heard rumors about the FBI shutting down internet access for certain PCs this coming Monday, we hate to say it, but it's more than a rumor. But don't worry - the chances are minimal and you can take a simple steps to find out i…

Well one thing is clear about the new changes on Facebook--none of it is clear! At least according to our community, who bombarded us with questions on our Facebook page and our Cool Mom Picks Twitter account his past week, at our reques…

Are your kids on Facebook yet? Mine is 8 years old, so I'm not yet at that worry stage. But I know that by the time he's ready for it, he'll also be dealing with so many other issues in his life that I'll want to know about. (Kinda glad …

I'm not quite ready to have all those internet safety for kids discussions. I'm already preparing myself for the moment when my oldest asks if he can set up a Facebook account. Granted, he doesn't even know what Facebook is, and he's in …

As familiar as I am with Internet ads, it's easy for me to forget that my kids do not, which is especially important now that my two oldest children are using the computer on a daily basis. Not matter how tech-savvy your kids are, this a…