Computer Science
Grade 9
20 min
Sharing Information Online: Think Before You Post
Understand the potential consequences of sharing personal information online.
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1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and identify at least five examples in a social media context.
Analyze a social media post to identify potential privacy and security risks.
Explain the concept of a digital footprint and its permanence.
Describe how photo metadata (EXIF data) can unintentionally reveal private information like location.
Differentiate between public, private, and 'friends-only' sharing settings and explain the limitations of each.
Apply a decision-making framework (like the THINK acronym) to evaluate whether a piece of content is safe and appropriate to post online.
Ever posted a cool photo and had a friend comment 'I know exactly where that is!' even though you didn't tag the location? 🤔 Let'...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)Any data that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person.Your full name, home address, school name, phone number, email address, or a clear photo of your face.
Digital FootprintThe trail of data you create while using the Internet. It includes everything from social media posts and photos you're tagged in to your browser history.A collection of your TikTok videos, comments on a YouTube channel, online gaming profiles, and articles you've 'liked' on a news site.
Metadata (EXIF Data)Data that provides information about other data. For photos, this is called EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) data and is automatically embedded in the image file.A photo t...
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Core Syntax & Patterns
The PII Check Algorithm
function shouldIPost(content) {
if (content.includes(PII)) {
return 'Re-evaluate for risk';
} else {
return 'Proceed with caution';
}
}
Before posting any text, image, or video, run a mental check. Does it contain PII (full name, address, school, etc.)? If the answer is yes, you must stop and evaluate the risk. Consider if the PII can be removed or if the post should be abandoned.
The Permanence Principle
Data_on_Internet → Potentially_Permanent
Treat everything you post online as if it will be there forever. Even if you delete it, the data may have been screenshotted, shared, or archived by web services. This principle guides you to only post content you would be comfortable with anyone seeing years from now.
The...
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Challenging
A student posts a photo of their new car in their driveway to a 'friends-only' audience. The license plate is visible, and the phone's geotagging is on. They believe it's safe. Which statement best critiques their security assessment?
A.The post is perfectly safe because it's 'friends-only'
B.The only risk is that a friend might not like the car
C.The risk is minimal because license plates are public information
D.The post combines multiple PII sources (license plate, home location via geotag) and the 'friends-only' setting is a weak defense against account compromise or screenshotting
Challenging
A student downloads a new social media app and immediately starts posting. When asked about their privacy settings, they say, "I didn't change anything, so I'm using the standard, recommended settings. That should be the safest, right?" Why is this a flawed strategy?
A.It's a perfect strategy because app developers prioritize user privacy above all else
B.Default settings are often designed for maximum data collection and public sharing, not maximum user privacy; a 'privacy audit' is necessary
C.The only important setting is the password, so as long as it's strong, the defaults don't matter
D.This is only a flawed strategy if the user has a lot of followers
Challenging
A student accidentally posted a photo that included their family's full names and their new address. They deleted it within an hour. Acknowledging the 'I Can Delete It Later' myth, what is the most proactive next step to mitigate the potential damage?
A.Do nothing, as deleting it was sufficient
B.Ask their friends if they saw it and tell them to delete any screenshots
C.Change their social media password, which is unrelated to the exposed data
D.Assume the data is permanently public, monitor accounts for suspicious activity, and inform their parents about the specific information that was leaked
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