Facebook launches Parents portal offering guidelines & tips for kids' online safety

As more and more children enter the social networking world, increasing number of parents are worrying about how to keep their kids safe online and help them navigate the experience.

So, after updating its Safety Center and Bullying Prevention Hub, Facebook has introduced a Parent's Portal, in collaboration with parents, teens and safety experts around the world, which provides parent-specific advice as part of the Safety Center.

It includes guidelines and resources for parents about how Facebook works, tips for talking with your kids about staying safe online and resources from experts around the world. Available in over 55 languages, including 11 in India, the new portal is mobile friendly and includes step-by-step videos.

"Facebook’s Parent’s Portal is a great resource for parents who are looking to learn and work with their children to help keep them safe online," said the company in its official statement. Users will see advises like "let your child know that the same rules apply online as apply offline" or "try to be a good role model" and "trust yourself", under this section.

Ankhi Das, Public Policy Director, India, South and Central Asia, Facebook said, “Keeping our community safe is core to everything we do. People will only come to Facebook if it's a safe place to connect and share with the people they care. The Parent's Portal responds to feedback we have received about a knowledge gap among parents about our safety policies, tools and resources. With the new Safety Center and Parent's Portal, we worked with safety experts and local partners to develop content that resonates with our community.”

The portal also includes "Expert Advice section" which includes external links to a number of family safety and advocacy groups around the world.

Facebook has partnered with Learning Links Foundation, and The Center for Social Research India, which offers resources specifically for parents.