Internet Safety and Privacy Protection
FoundationOnline, protect personal data: never casually reveal your name, address, passwords or photos; set strong passwords and beware phishing sites and scam messages; when cyberbullied, do not reply — keep evidence, block and report, and tell an adult. Follow netiquette, know the protection of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, and be a safe, responsible netizen.
- Personal data covers name, address, phone, photos and passwords; the privacy ordinance guards its fair use.
- Strong passwords run eight-plus characters mixing cases, numbers and symbols — unique per platform, with two-factor authentication on.
- Beware phishing and prize scams: check addresses, click no strange links, never give passwords or codes.
文體小知識：網絡安全教育說明文逐項列出網上風險和保護方法，教人安全、禮貌地使用互聯網。
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1Personal data identifies who you are: name, address, phone number, date of birth, photos, school and account passwords. Hong Kong's Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance requires such data to be handled lawfully and fairly. Think before uploading: a photo in school uniform with a location tag already tells strangers which school you attend and where you hang out; 'check-in' posts can also reveal when your home is empty. Once uploaded, data can be copied and forwarded — almost impossible to recall completely.
2The first line of account defence is a strong password: at least eight characters mixing upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols, avoiding birthdays, phone numbers and guessable strings like '123456'. Use different passwords for different platforms and switch on two-factor authentication — besides the password, enter a code sent to your phone. Never tell anyone your password, not even your best friend, and never save passwords or logins on public computers.
3Online scams take endless forms — learn to recognise them. Phishing sites imitate bank or game login pages to steal passwords, so always check that the address is official. Messages shouting 'you have won a prize' or 'your account is abnormal' usually carry suspicious links — do not click. Anyone offering 'free game diamonds' while asking for your account and password is a scammer; game companies never ask for passwords. The rules are simple: click no strange links, scan no QR codes of unknown origin, give no password or one-time code to any 'customer service', and check with family and official channels whenever in doubt.
4Cyberbullying — doxxing, malicious photo edits, group exclusion and abusive language — wounds victims deeply, and the internet's long memory prolongs the hurt. If bullied, remember four steps: do not reply or retaliate; screenshot and keep the evidence at once; block the bully and report to the platform; and tell your parents or teacher — serious cases can go to the police. Equally vital is not aiding the bully as a bystander: never forward bullying content, and support the classmate targeted. When everyone thinks before posting and treats others with courtesy, the online world becomes safer and kinder.
1Summary 重點摘要
Online, protect personal data: never casually reveal your name, address, passwords or photos; set strong passwords and beware phishing sites and scam messages; when cyberbullied, do not reply — keep evidence, block and report, and tell an adult. Follow netiquette, know the protection of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, and be a safe, responsible netizen.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Data identifying who you are — name, address, phone, photos and passwords.
The right to keep one's life and data free from prying eyes and misuse.
A password of eight or more characters mixing letters, numbers and symbols, hard to guess.
Besides a password, entering a code sent to your phone for stronger sign-in security.
Fake sites or messages tricking people into entering passwords and account details.
Attacking, humiliating or excluding others online, including doxxing and malicious photo edits.
Publishing someone's personal data without consent — an invasion of privacy.
Telling the platform about a bad account and stopping it from contacting you.
The courtesy rules of online life — no abuse, no doxxing, respect for different views.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Recognise personal dataExample: posting a photo in school uniform with a location tag lets strangers know which school you attend and where you often appear. Names, schools, addresses, phone numbers and photos are all personal data, and together they can reveal your movements. Before uploading anything, check whether it contains such details — protecting personal data is protecting your own safety.
- Step 2: Set a strong passwordExample: a password like 'abc123' is cracked within seconds; 'Sun2026!hk' mixes upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols, and being long and hard to guess it is far safer. Use a different password for each account, so one break-in does not unlock everything; turn on SMS two-factor authentication as an extra gate when logging in. Never tell anyone your password, not even your best friend.
- Step 3: Check addresses against phishingExample: a message claims 'your account will be frozen — click here to verify'; inspect the address first — fake sites often add one extra letter, swap a look-alike character or use a strange domain. Compare the official web address letter by letter, type the official address yourself when unsure, and never click links inside messages. Phishing sites can look almost real, so checking the address is the most reliable line of defence.
- Step 4: Spot prize scamsExample: 'free 1000 game diamonds — just provide your account and password' — a proper game company would never ask players for passwords, so this is a classic scam. When such a message appears, do not reply and do not click the link; report it to your parents and to the platform at once. Remember the rule: anything that demands personal data or passwords before giving a prize is almost certainly a trick.
- Step 5: Four steps against cyberbullyingExample: a classmate's photo is maliciously edited and posted into a group chat — take four steps: first, do not strike back, so the conflict does not escalate; second, screenshot the evidence at once, noting the time and account names; third, leave the group and stop watching; fourth, hand the evidence to the class teacher or your parents and let adults follow up. Asking for help is not weakness but the right way to protect yourself.
- Step 6: Use the report functionsExample: when someone keeps posting abusive comments, first screenshot the evidence, then use the platform's 'block' function to stop the harassment and the 'report' function to alert the platform. In serious cases, let your parents complain formally to the platform or seek help from the police. Reporting is not tattling — it is the just act of stopping bad behaviour from hurting you and others.
- Step 7: Manage your digital footprintExample: before sharing or commenting, ask yourself — if this content is dug up in ten years by classmates, teachers or even employers, will I regret it? Photos, comments and likes online form a digital footprint that is nearly impossible to erase once uploaded. Building the habit of pausing before uploading and posting only what you are willing to make public is the basic way to manage your digital footprint.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: Yan receives a message from a stranger: 'Congratulations on winning our game's top prize! Provide your name, phone, school and address to claim it.' List her correct response steps and the reasons.
- Stay calm and do not let 'winning' cloud judgement; first recall whether she even entered such a contest.
- Check the source: is the account verified? Does the message include the contest link and terms? Real prize claims never need your address or school.
- Do not reply, do not give any personal data, and do not click the links sent.
- Screenshot the evidence, verify through the game's official channels, and report the account to the platform.
- Tell her parents what happened; if the harassment continues, report to the police.
- Answer: It is a classic scam: no reply, no data, no clicks — screenshot, verify through official channels, report the account, tell parents, and call the police if needed.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What counts as personal data?
Q2How do you set a strong password?
Q3What is phishing?
Q4What are the four correct steps against cyberbullying?
Q5Why be careful about your digital footprint?
8Recap Recap
- Personal data covers name, address, phone, photos and passwords; the privacy ordinance guards its fair use.
- Strong passwords run eight-plus characters mixing cases, numbers and symbols — unique per platform, with two-factor authentication on.
- Beware phishing and prize scams: check addresses, click no strange links, never give passwords or codes.
- Four steps against cyberbullying: no reply, keep evidence, block and report, tell an adult.
- Follow netiquette and manage your digital footprint — think before you post or share.