Safety tips for sharing videos

Think of it: your videos could be seen by people around the world! Most of them are good, curious, fun-loving folks using Community Clips for everyday honest purposes. But criminals use it, too—from predators searching for victims (often youth or others who are sad, lonely, or angry) to thieves looking for a racy car or an empty house.

Under 13?
If you are under the age of 13, you may NOT use Community Clips.

Keep your identity to yourself
When you upload a video, remember that anyone using the Internet can see it.

• Think about what the video shows about you: does it attract the wrong kind of attention or help someone find you? Listen to what is being said as well as think about what can be seen.



• Remember, too, that once you post information publicly, it can stay around forever and may pop up when you least expect (or want) it.

• What’s in the background? Does the video show personal documents on the screen or in the corner?



• Does your video show files names in the taskbar?



• Does your video show names or personal information of individuals in your email or somewhere else on your computer? Did you get permission to display their personal information?



• Listen to the video as words can give away your identity and location, too. In conversation do you use people’s full names or other identifying details such as phone numbers or street addresses?



• What’s on people’s shirts? The name of your school, sports team, or club? Their name—or yours?



• Who’s in the picture? If it shows friends or family members, you may be putting them at risk, too. (You should ask for—and get—permission from everyone in the video before you upload it.)



• Does the video show how you feel about yourself? Expressions of vulnerable feelings—what you say, your facial expressions, your body language—can be of particular interest to predators.

A good rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t give the information in your video to a stranger on a dark, empty street, don’t post it on Community Clips.

Watch out for comments

• Comments on your video. No one has the right to threaten or upset you. Ever. If anyone (even someone you know) leaves a creepy, hateful, or mean comment, asks lots of personal questions, or tries to meet you, simply delete the comment.



• Comments on someone else’s video. If you see inappropriate comments in a video that is not your own, click the Report link next to the comment. MSN will review the comment and take appropriate action.

Keep Community Clips safe: report abuse
Community Clips doesn’t allow inappropriate comments, profanity, pornography, or hateful, violent or threatening videos. (For full details, read our Code of Conduct.)

• If you see a problem video, you can report it. MSN reviews flagged videos and will take appropriate action.