Last updated by Stephanie Rosser on Thursday, November 27, 2025

As Black Friday approaches, Essex Police are relaunching their Sort Your Settings campaign. The initiative provides parents and guardians with practical, easy-to-follow advice to protect children from online risks - especially as festive deals and digital purchases surge.

The Sort Your Settings campaign helps parents protect children online with easy tips on privacy settings, age ratings, and scam prevention. Here are five quick ways to boost your child’s online safety:

• Protect your identity - Don’t share personal information.
• Think before you post - Once it’s online, it’s no longer yours.
• Check your privacy settings - Make sure they’re up to date.
• Respect age ratings - Games and apps have them for a reason.
• Use parental controls - They’re your first line of defence.

The ESCB online safety campaign ties in to this so please join in and share messages throughout December. Don't forget one of the most important things parents and carers can do to keep children safe is to be involved in their digital lives and create a supportive non-judgemental environment to encourage two-way conversations.