AI and Keeping Your Friends' Info Private

Your friends' phone numbers, addresses, or photos are not yours to share — even with an AI helper. We protect each other by keeping that info private.

Some examples

• Don't tell an AI your friend's home address.
• Don't paste your friend's photo into AI without asking.
• Don't share another kid's full name to look them up.
• Always check with a parent before sharing anyone's info.

Try it!

Think of one fact about a friend you used to share online. Ask yourself: did they say it was okay?

You Are the Guardian of Your Friends' Information

When your friend tells you their phone number, address, or a personal story, they're trusting you with it. That trust doesn't change just because you're using AI. If you paste your friend's photo into an AI app, type their address into a chatbot, or share their personal information to get help with a situation — even with good intentions — you've shared private information they didn't agree to share. This is why consent matters: before including someone else's personal information in anything — including AI tools — ask yourself 'Did they say it was okay?' If the answer is no, or you're not sure, don't share it. A good way to think about it: your information is yours to share or not. Your friend's information is theirs to share or not. You manage yours; they manage theirs.

• Ask yourself 'Did they say it was okay?' before sharing any friend's information with AI
• Photos of friends should never be pasted into AI without their explicit permission
• Sharing a friend's address or phone number with AI is the same as sharing it with a stranger
• Your friend's stories and personal struggles belong to them — don't share them without asking

AI chats can save what you type. So never share things that should stay private — even if the AI seems nice.

Some examples

• Don't share your home address.
• Don't share your password — ever.
• Don't share your school's name and your face.
• Don't share family money info.

Try it!

Make a list of 3 private things you'll never tell an AI. Keep it by your computer.

Here's why "AI and Keeping Private Things Private" matters: Using AI fairly means being honest, kind, and careful. Just like real life! What you should never type into an AI chat — and knowing how to apply this gives you a concrete advantage.

• Learn what "privacy" means and why it's important
• Learn what "safety" means and why it's important
• Learn what "AI helper" means and why it's important

1. 1Find out more about AI and Keeping Private Things Private by asking an AI a question about it
2. 2Talk to a grown-up about what you learned
3. 3Write down one new thing you learned today

AI is super helpful, but it doesn't need to know your school's name. If you share it, that info could end up where strangers can see it. Keep school stuff private.

Some examples

• Saying 'help with my homework' is fine. Saying 'at Lincoln Elementary' is too much.
• Strangers + your school name + your face = not safe.
• Even helpful AIs sometimes save what you typed.
• If AI asks for your school, say 'I'd rather not share that.'

Try it!

Practice saying it out loud: 'I won't share my school name with AI.' Tell a parent your plan!

Chatbots don't need to know where you live. Keep your address private.

Some examples

• Never type your street name into an AI chat
• Use your first name only, never your full name
• Tell a grown-up if a chatbot asks where you live
• Treat AI like a stranger at a store

Try it!

Make a list of 3 things you will never tell an AI chatbot. Stick it by your screen.

Why Chatbots Do Not Need to Know Where You Live

Chatbots are designed to answer questions and help with tasks — not to know personal things about you. Your home address is one of the most private pieces of information you have. Knowing where you live could help a bad actor find you in real life. A chatbot does not need that information to help you with homework, creative writing, or fun questions.

• Your home address or apartment number.
• Your school name and location.
• Your phone number.
• Your parent's or guardian's full name.
• Your daily routine (when you get home, when you are alone).

If a chatbot ever asks for personal location information — like your city, neighborhood, or address — that is a red flag. A helpful AI tool for kids does not need to know where you live. Trust your instincts: if a question from an AI feels too personal, you do not have to answer.

Don't type your friends' names, schools, or secrets into AI chats.

Some examples

• Your friend's birthday isn't yours to share with AI
• Don't paste in family stories or addresses
• Use 'my friend' instead of their real name
• Treat their info like you treat yours

Try it!

Next chat with AI, swap any real name for 'my friend' or 'my classmate.'

Your Friends Did Not Agree to Share With AI

When you type a friend's name, school, or personal problems into a chatbot, you are sharing their information without their permission. They never agreed to that. It does not matter if you are asking for advice about a situation or just mentioning them in a story prompt — their personal information is theirs, not yours to share with an AI system.

• Your friend's full name or nickname that identifies them.
• Where your friend lives, goes to school, or what they look like.
• Personal problems, secrets, or things your friend told you in confidence.
• Photos of your friend — even if the app says they will be deleted.
• Anything your friend would not want a stranger to know.

A simple rule: before you type anything about a friend into an AI, ask yourself — 'Would my friend be okay with this?' If the answer is anything less than a clear yes, leave their information out. You can describe the situation without naming them or revealing private details.

If a friend tells you a secret, do not type it into AI — that is breaking their trust.

Some examples

• If your friend says 'don't tell anyone,' AI counts as anyone.
• Do not share other kids' addresses, phone numbers, or last names with AI.
• Respecting privacy makes friendships strong.

Try it!

Think of a secret a friend told you. Promise yourself: AI does not need to hear it.

Other people's private information is not yours to share

When a friend tells you something personal — maybe about their family, a health issue, or something that happened to them — that information belongs to them. Sharing it with other people breaks their trust. Sharing it with AI breaks their trust and potentially puts it in a database. Even if you think typing it into AI will 'stay between you and the chatbot,' that is not how AI works. The conversation may be logged, reviewed, or used for training. Your friend's private information travels somewhere they did not consent to. Respecting privacy means thinking before you type — asking yourself, 'Is this my information to share?' If the answer is no, leave it out. If you want to ask AI a question about a situation involving a friend, describe it in general terms without names, personal details, or identifying information. Protecting your friends' privacy is a sign of genuine friendship, and it is a skill that matters more as you get older.

• Before typing anything about someone else, ask: 'Is this mine to share?'
• Describe situations in general terms, without names or personal details
• Treat other people's secrets the same way you'd want yours treated
• If a friend asks you to keep something secret, AI is not an exception