One of the most popular pastimes among children and teenagers is playing video games online with friends.
However, safeguarding your privacy should always be a priority when interacting with others online, given that entering a public game session means you are in a space with strangers, and your privacy settings may not be protecting you as much as you think.
Although video games are mostly perceived as a teenage pastime, according to the “2020 Essential Facts About the Video Game Industry” report, the average player is between 18-34. This carries serious risks of grooming for younger players, among others.
Additionally, identity theft is another risk to consider when interacting with strangers in the built-in game chat. Strangers often successfully obtain players’ private information without the victim even realizing that their information has been taken. There have also been cases where strangers hack into players’ webcams or scam them through links sent in the chat.
Here are some suggestions to protect underage players from these risks:
- Be cautious about what you share with others: you do not know the person on the other side of the screen nor their intentions. Never share personal information.
- Never open links shared by strangers through the game’s chat or direct messages.
- Provide the least amount of information possible when creating an account and do not fill out any optional fields.
- Use a nickname instead of your real name when selecting a username.
- Check the privacy settings each platform offers and adjust them so that your account is as secure as possible.
Translation by: Laura Vallejo
