Who we are

The eSafety Commissioner (eSafety) is Australia’s independent regulator for online safety.

We are the world’s first government agency dedicated to keeping people safer online. We started our operations in 2015 and we have remained at the forefront of the fight against online abuse and harm ever since.

5 tips to keep your family safe online

Parents and carers can use a combination of strategies to help young people build their digital technology skills and have safer experiences online.  

1. Start the chat Get into the habit of talking about online safety as a family, so your child feels comfortable coming to you if they ever need help working out an issue. It’s never too early to introduce good online habits such as respect, empathy, critical thinking, responsible behaviour and resilience. As your child grows older, eSafety’s advice about hard to have conversations will help with some of the tricky topics like sending nudes, online pornography and contact from sexual predators.
2. Create a family technology agreement Creating a Family Technology Agreement can help you and your kids decide together when and how digital technology will be used at home. As a family, brainstorm easy-to-follow rules and display them where everyone will see them. Your agreement could cover things like: time limits, apps your kids are allowed to use and online behaviour. Families with younger children can download a template to guide the conversation. 
3. Set up parental controls Parental controls let you monitor and limit what your child sees and does online. It’s best to use them in combination with the other online safety strategies listed here. Taming the technology can help you understand your options. Grab a device and get started with our guides to setting up parental controls on devices and accounts or in social media, games and apps. 
4. Choose games and other apps carefully Use eSafety’s App checklist for parents to think about the positives and negatives when your child asks to download a new game or other app. The checklist covers things like age ratings, managing privacy settings and reporting abuse in-app. You can also use The eSafety guide to check and set up safety features with your child.
5. Use digital technology together. Exploring or playing on devices or online with your child can be a positive experience that promotes learning and development.

Ask questions, be curious and get involved. To learn more, read our blog post, “How to encourage good screen practices for your child.” esafety.gov.au