Youths (under 18)
How to Protect Your Personal Data Online
Staying safe online
Setting privacy and safety controls
What you share online can say more about you than you think. Learn how to protect your personal data and stay in control of your digital life.
What is personal data?
Personal data is any information that can be used to identify you in real life. A single post, comment, video or piece of information in your profile may not seem like a big deal, but when different details are shared across apps and over time, they can reveal much more about you than you think.
Strangers or people who want to hurt you may put together every small bit of information you share online to find out who you are, where you spend time, what you do every day, or how to reach you.
Examples of personal data include:
Full name
Photos or videos that show your face or identity
NRIC number
Date of birth
Phone number
Home address
School or company name
Email address
Usernames or passwords
Bank account details
Credit and debit card details
Why is personal data protection important?
Securing your personal data helps protect you and the people around you from being tricked or hurt.
If your information is not properly protected, strangers can use it to trick you, your friends and family. In some cases, people may use or share your personal data to embarrass, threaten or harass you in real life.
Apps, games, social media platforms and advertisers may also collect and combine your data to show you content or ads to influence your choices or keep you online for longer. Taking control of what you share helps keep you safer.
How can you protect your personal data online?
You do not need to do everything at once. Start with these steps and build safer habits over time, especially for the apps, games and social media platforms you use every day.
Secure your devices
Your devices store a lot of personal data.
Lock your devices with a PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition
Keep your device and apps updated so security issues are fixed quickly
Use the built-in security features on your device or install a trusted antivirus app
Check what information the app can access, such as location, contacts or photos, and only allow access to information that is needed
Avoid using public Wi-Fi when you are doing things like online banking or shopping
Choose trusted platforms that protect your privacy online
Not all apps and websites handle personal data responsibly.
Use secure websites that start with “https” and show a padlock icon in the address bar
Download apps only from official app stores (e.g. Apple App Store or Google Play Store)
Read privacy policies, so you know how your data is collected and used
For Singapore organisations, look out for the Data Protection Trustmark (DPTM) logo on their websites, which shows strong data protection practices. Learn more about DPTM and what its logo looks like here.
Protect your accounts
Strong account security helps prevent others from accessing your accounts.
Create strong passwords that are long and made up of random words, with added numbers, symbols and mixed cases (e.g. DinoDancingOnMoon2025!)
Use a different passphrase for each account
Avoid predictable passwords, such as your name, birthday, school, pet's name or common number patterns (e.g. 123456 or Password123)
Enable two-step verification using one-time passwords or biometrics, such as fingerprint or facial recognition
Use a trusted password manager app to keep your passwords safe
Do not share your passwords or login details, even with your friends
Regularly review what you share online
Even information that seem harmless can be used in ways you may not expect.
Avoid posting personal routines or real-time locations, such as where you regularly study, exercise or hang out
Be careful when sharing information like your first school or favourite colour, which is often used as security answers
Be mindful that photos and videos can reveal more than you expect, such as your appearance, location, school, hobbies or people you know, especially through backgrounds, uniforms and other visible details
Check your friends or followers list regularly and remove people you do not know
Change your privacy settings so only people you trust can view your posts and profile information
What should you do in these situations?
Someone created a fake social media account pretending to be you and has been messaging your friends. What should you do?
Monitor the fake account so you understand what is being posted or sent
Take screenshots of the profile and any messages as evidence
Report the account to the platform using its reporting tools
Reach out to a trusted adult, such as a parent, teacher or counsellor, for support and guidance
Let your friends and family know the account is fake, so they do not reply and can help report it
A friend asked for your login details to help boost your game account. Is it safe to share your password?
No. It is never safe to share your login details, even with a friend. Once you share your password, you lose control of your account. It can be misused or other people can gain access to your account without you knowing and you may lose progress, in-game items or access to the account entirely.
Your personal data matters. Small choices like what you share, who you trust and how you keep your accounts safe affect how much control you have online. Building good digital habits early helps you protect your privacy, your reputation and the things you care about. Staying in control means deciding what is shared and knowing when to speak up if something does not feel right.