Online safety

Helping you and your family stay safe and enjoy the benefits of technology smartly.

Keeping your child safe online should be easy

Smart devices offer benefits like internet access for schoolwork, entertainment, and staying connected. However, ensuring safe and responsible use is vital. To help parents support their children online, we provide practical advice, created with CyberSafeKids, to promote safety and confidence in navigating the digital world.

CyberSafeKids

CyberSafeKids, Ireland's online safety charity, protects children online through education, research, and advocacy. Their 'Better Digital Parenting Guide' offers tips on parental controls, screen time, privacy, and online safety. It also helps parents address cyberbullying, online grooming, and family tech agreements.

If you're considering purchasing a smart device for your children or young people, CyberSafeKids have designed a handy Gadget Gift Guide to help you - as parents and guardians - be better informed before you purchase.

Find out more about CyberSafeKids here:

www.cybersafekids.ie

CyberSafeKids - Top Tips

Have a chat

Normalise discussing your child's online activity on a regular basis, without judgement.

Research

Do your research, set rules, time limits, and clear boundaries, and stick to them; for example, no phone usage is allowed unsupervised in bedrooms.

Open spaces

Use devices in open spaces, not behind shut doors, unsupervised.

Digital free space

Encourage phone-free rooms, e.g. no phone is allowed in the bedroom.

One screen at a time

Use the 'one screen at one time' rule, rather than watching TV while also on another device.

Set technical boundaries

Use technical restrictions (such as parental controls) but don't rely on them alone, especially when expectations of privacy increase.

Set an example

Model good behaviour and encourage healthy habits.

How we help

Tesco Mobile, alongside industry partners, has developed a Code of Practice and a Parent's Guide for the responsible use of mobile phones.

The Code outlines standards for parental controls, offensive communications, and Premium Rate Services. The Parent's Guide explains mobile features like internet access and live-streaming, offers advice on handling issues like bullying, and provides reporting resources. Tesco Mobile blocks inappropriate content and supports Hotline.ie (Hotline provides users with the ability to report anonymously suspected illegal material, including CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material).

www.hotline.ie

Help us stop repeat victimisation by reporting.

Feature phones

(non-smart phones with limited connectivity)

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TCL 4042S

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Nokia 2660

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Parental controls help you manage and restrict what your kids can see and do online - from sites they can view, to the apps they can download, and purchases they can make. Parental control features and tools are now built into the majority of mobile phones, which makes it even easier to turn on parental controls and limit how much time your child spends online. There is some information on setting up parental controls on Android devices (LG, Sony, Samsung, Huawei, HTC, Nokia, Motorola) here and information on here.

In addition to the parental control settings on handsets, there are also a number of parental control apps available on the App store (Google Play or Apple) which facilitate the blocking or filtering of internet access so that access to internet content can be restricted. We would recommend checking the features available on the device - along with what's available in the App store - and putting the desired controls in place, before giving the mobile phone to a child.

When it comes to when a child should have a smartphone, parents and guardians know best. Tesco Mobile supports parents in their decisions and this includes supporting voluntary agreements they've entered into with schools, specifically primary schools.

Other Useful Resources

Be Safe Online

Ireland's official Online Safety Hub is the government's campaign to highlight ways to help users stay safe online. Visit BE SAFE ONLINE

Cyberbullying

There are a lot of resources out there to help and provide guidance on cyberbullying including the HSE website, Webwise and CyberSafeKids.

Mental Health & Wellbeing

The HSE also provides important information on mental health and wellbeing

Online Safety Framework

Coimisiun na Mean has launched a new Online Safety Code targeted at online platforms to make sure children and adults are protected from harmful or illegal content online know your rights.

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