Personal Information Online for Children: What Should Stay Private? (Ages 5–10)

Personal information online for children means any detail that shows who they are, where they are or how to contact them, such as a full name, address, school, birthday or password. Children aged 5 to 10 can learn one clear rule: check with a Safe Adult before sharing it.

Most children share too much online because they are friendly and trusting, not because they are careless. Games, apps and videos often ask questions in a cheerful way, and a child who has not been shown the difference between public and private details will simply answer. This guide explains what counts as personal information, simple ways to teach the difference, and what to do calmly if something has already been shared.

What counts as personal information online for children?

Personal information is anything that helps someone identify, contact or find a child. Some details are obvious, such as a home address. Others seem harmless on their own, but they can add up when someone puts them together.

• Full name and the names of family members
• Home address or the name of the street
• School name, school badge or uniform
• Phone number or email address
• Birthday and exact age
• Passwords and log-in codes
• Photos and videos that show where a child lives, goes to school or spends time
• Live location, including location tags on photos and in games
• Usernames that include a real name, a birth year or a school

A child does not need to memorise this list. What matters is that they learn to pause when something asks who they are, where they are or how to reach them.

Why do children aged 5 to 10 share too much?

Children share too much because they are trusting, because online spaces feel like play, and because games and apps often ask for details in a casual way. A child who is asked for a name to join a game will usually just type it in.

Many children also meet people they do not know through games. Ofcom found that 25% of 8 to 9-year-olds who play games online chat with people they do not know while gaming. That does not mean those people are unsafe, but it does mean children need clear habits before they need them.

If you feel uneasy reading this, that is a normal and sensible reaction, and a few simple habits go a long way.

What simple rule can children remember?

The easiest rule links to three questions: Who am I? Where am I? How can someone reach me? If a message, a form or a person is asking for any of these, a child stops and checks with a Safe Adult first.

Younger children can use a shorter version: “Private things stay with my Safe Adult.” The aim is a rule short enough to remember when the child is excited or distracted.

How do you explain the difference between public and private?

Children understand the difference more easily when they can sort real examples. Write or draw a handful of details on small cards and let your child decide which pile each one belongs in.

Public information

Public details are safe to talk about because they do not point to a person. Examples include a favourite colour, a favourite animal, a favourite game or a joke.

Private information

Private details can help someone find or contact a child. Examples include an address, a school name, a phone number, a password or a photo in school uniform. Children should check with a Safe Adult before sharing any of these.

Then try the “grey area” cards, such as a first name, a pet’s name or a photo of a birthday cake. Talk through why the answer might depend on who is asking and where. These conversations teach children to think, not just memorise.

Why are passwords private, and how can children make good ones?

Passwords are private because they work like a front door key: only the people who live there should have one. Children often think sharing a password with a friend is a kind thing to do, so it helps to say clearly that passwords are only shared with a Safe Adult.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advises making a password from three random words, because this is long enough to be strong and still easy to remember. It also advises avoiding personal details such as birthdays and family or pet names. For children, that can become a fun game: pick three unrelated words together, such as “sleepy tractor garden”, and turn them into a password with your help.

The NCSC also has free CyberSprinters activities for children, including puzzles for ages 7 to 8 on strong passwords and keeping personal information safe online.

How can photos give away personal information?

Photos can reveal far more than a child expects. A picture might show a school badge, a street sign, a house number, a regular park or a uniform. Even without any typed words, someone can learn where a child spends their time.

Before a child shares or appears in a photo, ask together: “What can someone learn about us from this picture?” Check the background as well as the child. It also helps to switch off location tags on the camera and in apps where you can.

Adults can do the same for their own posts. A child will copy what they see, so being careful with photos of your own children is one of the strongest lessons you can give.

What should a username or avatar look like?

A safe username does not include a real name, a birth year, a school or a town. A name such as “BlueRocket” is better than “Sam_Hill2016”. For an avatar, choose a cartoon or a character, not a face or a uniform.

Let your child pick the name, so it feels like theirs, and then check it together using the three questions: does it say who they are, where they are or how to reach them?

What do apps and games ask for, and what can you check?

Many apps and games ask for details to set up an account or to personalise the experience. Children usually answer without thinking, so the adult’s role is to be there when the account is made.

In the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has a Children’s code of 15 standards for online services likely to be used by children. It says settings should be high privacy by default, that services should collect only the minimum data they need, and that location settings should be off by default for children. That is a good reason to look at the settings, but it does not replace checking them yourself.

• Set up accounts together, using a parent or carer email where needed.
• Check that location sharing is switched off.
• Look for who can contact your child or see their profile, and make it as private as you can.
• Skip optional questions, such as birthday or school.
• Return to the settings every few months, because updates can change them.

How can you turn games, apps and chats into teaching moments?

Short, ordinary moments work better than a big talk. Children learn fastest when they are in the middle of something, such as choosing a username, joining a game or answering a question on a screen.

Practise saying no kindly

Rehearse a few lines your child can use: “I need to ask my grown-up first.” “I do not share that.” “I am going to stop now.” Practise these like a game, so they feel natural and not scary.

Show that asking is always welcome

Tell your child often, “You can always ask me, and you will never be in trouble for asking.” Children who expect a calm answer are far more likely to check before sharing.

Watch for “it is just for fun”

Children often treat online spaces as playgrounds, so a request for a name or a photo feels like part of the game. Gently remind them that real people can see what they share, even when it feels like play.

How can schools support this?

Schools can reinforce the same message in computing, PSHE and assemblies. A short “public or private?” sorting activity, a poster with the three questions and a regular reminder to ask a Safe Adult are enough to make the idea stick. Sending the same simple rule home helps families use the same words.

What should you do if a child has already shared personal information?

Stay calm, thank your child for telling you, and work out what was shared and who with. The fact that they told you is the most important part, so say so clearly.

• Find out what was shared. Ask gently and without blame.
• Change passwords if a password was shared, starting with the account involved.
• Tighten the settings. Make the profile private and switch off location sharing.
• Remove or hide the post or photo where you can, and report anything worrying using the platform’s report button.
• Keep screenshots if someone has been pressuring your child.
• Ask for help. The NSPCC helpline for adults is on 0808 800 5000. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.

If the content was upsetting, our guide on helping a child after upsetting online content explains how to talk it through.

How do you keep the conversation going?

One conversation is rarely enough, so aim for small, regular ones. Repeat the three questions, revisit the settings, and praise your child whenever they stop to ask. Our guide on how to talk to your child about screen time has ideas for starting these chats without a row.

Common Questions Parents Ask

Final Thoughts

Teaching children what personal information should stay private is not about making them afraid of the internet. It is about giving them a simple rule, a few practised sentences and a Safe Adult they trust to ask. Start with the three questions this week, repeat them calmly, and build from there.

Sources

• Ofcom, Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2025, 7 May 2025
• Information Commissioner’s Office, Age appropriate design: a code of practice for online services, accessed 23 October 2026
• National Cyber Security Centre, Three random words, accessed 23 October 2026
• National Cyber Security Centre, CyberSprinters: home activities for ages 7 to 8, accessed 23 October 2026
• NSPCC, Online safety, accessed 23 October 2026