What is Safer Internet Day?

Safer Internet Day (SID) is a global event that takes place on the second day of the second week in February. Its purpose is to promote safer and more responsible internet use — especially among children and young people who have less experience using the web.

In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of this day and provide top tips for staying safe online. We’ll also recommend a few ways to manage your digital footprint to protect your privacy, reputation, and data.

Safer Internet Day 2025 will take place on Tuesday the 11th of February. This year, it will revolve around a theme of: ‘Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online.’ In other words, it’ll focus on the different types of online scams out there and ways to identify, respond to, and report them correctly.

SID aims to raise awareness about online safety issues, encourage positive digital habits, and teach people how to reduce risks on their devices. It brings people, organisations, and policymakers together in a concerted effort to make the internet a safer place. So, everyone can feel empowered to use their tech without worry.

With growing threats like phishing and data breaches, it’s more important than ever to protect your personal data. Here are some practical tips and tools for safeguarding your info online:

• Use strong passwords: Make sure your passwords are hard to guess and unique for each account. Don’t use the same one for everything! You can even use tools like LastPass that’ll securely store your login details and create complex, secure passwords for you.

• Turn on two-factor authentication: This adds another layer of security to your online accounts and makes it much harder for hackers to steal your data. That’s because an extra form of identification is needed next to your password — usually a PIN or an answer to a security question. Lots of services now offer this feature, so use it wherever you can.

• Use a VPN: A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your data and hides your IP address when you’re online. This makes it tougher for others to access your info, and it’s always best to use one when using public Wi-Fi or working with sensitive info. Check out popular VPN providers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN. They even work on your phone.

• Adjust your social media privacy settings: Get in the habit of regularly reviewing and updating your social media accounts’ privacy settings. This is so you’re always in control of who can see your content.

• Be careful sharing personal info online: Avoid sharing sensitive details such as your address, phone number, or financial info on public forums or social media.

The rise of AI-generated fake content has made it even harder to avoid misinformation, especially on social media platforms. Here are some handy ways to separate the real from the phoney:

• Verify the source: Always look at where the information you’re seeing is coming from. Reliable sources are key, so if it's a website you've never heard of — just do a quick search to see if it's trustworthy. And if something sounds fishy, check other reputable sources to see if they’re reporting on the same thing.

• Check the date: Old news can sometimes get recirculated as if it's new. That’s why it’s a good idea to check an article’s publication date before reading it. Then you’ll know if the information is current — and that you won’t be wasting your time!

• Don’t just read the headline: This is a common issue on social platforms, with headlines in news article links often being misleading or featuring quotes taken out of context. That’s why you should try to read the whole article to get the full picture. But before you click, make sure it’s from a reputable source and not a dodgy phishing link…

• Use fact-checking tools: Sites like Snopes and FactCheck.org are great for verifying claims. When in doubt, check it out.

• Educate yourself: The more you know about common misinformation tactics, the better you'll become at spotting them. Luckily, there are online games and courses that can help you learn to identify fake news. And always question the authenticity of the info and think about the motives behind it.

A digital footprint is the trail of data you leave behind whenever you use the internet, such as sites you visit and your social media posts. Every online action leaves a trace that can impact your privacy and reputation. So, that’s why you should follow these helpful tips to manage your digital footprint:

• Google yourself: Start by searching your name and see what pops up. This will give you an idea of your current digital presence. And if you find anything unflattering or outdated, tidy up your accounts. Speaking of…

• Clean up old social media accounts and posts: Go through your social media profiles and delete any old posts or photos that don't represent you or your views well anymore. Especially from when you were a teenager!

• Review your online accounts: Regularly check and clean up all your online accounts — not just your social ones. Delete any that you no longer use and update your info on the ones you keep.

• Be mindful of content you’re sharing: Always think twice before posting anything online. It’s hard to take back once it’s out there. Just think about it this way — share content that you wouldn't mind your boss or grandma seeing!

Got any more great tips for staying safe online? We’d love to hear them in the comments section below.