online safety tips

foom.com can be a fun place to connect with people who hang out in the same places as you. But it is important that when you use foom.com and other internet sites you do not embarrass yourself or anyone else. You must also take care not to put yourself or anyone else in a dangerous or compromising situation. Here are some safety tips you should follow whenever using foom.com.

Profiles on foom.com are public

Don’t post anything on the site that you wouldn’t want other people to know (such as your phone number, address or email). When posting information on other people’s profiles, you must take extra care. Do not post any information on other people’s profiles that you would not want posted about yourself or that could help a stranger locate that person. We reserve the right to delete profiles of people who we feel break these rules.

People may not be who they say they are

Be careful when communicating with people online. Do not give out any personal details such as your address or phone number. When communicating with anonymous users, be extra careful. Even when you think you know who you are communicating with, take care. The person may not be who they say they are. Follow your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable communicating with someone, then don’t.

Harassment and inappropriate content

If you feel someone’s behaviour is inappropriate, then do something about it. Talk with an adult you trust or report the behaviour to us or to the authorities. You can delete any content you don’t like from your profile pages. You can also block any user from ever writing on your profile page or messaging you again.

Meeting up in the real world

If you do decide to meet up with someone who you have been communicating with online – even if you’re pretty sure you know that person from the real world - it is important to follow some basic safety steps. Make sure you meet them in a populated, public place. Tell at least one close friend or an adult you trust that you are meeting someone from foom.com and when and where you are meeting them. Take your mobile with you and take a friend or trusted adult with you. If you are meeting an anonymous admirer, insist that they confirm who they are before you even consider meeting them.

Be honest about your age

We have age rules on the site to protect all users. If you lie about your age, we’ll delete your profile. If you feel another user is lying about their age then let us know. We reserve the right to delete profiles where we suspect users are lying about their age.

Further information

http://www.wiredsafety.org

http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk

http://www.connectsafely.org

http://www.saferinternet.org

http://www.childnet-int.org/kia/

http://www.ikeepsafe.org