Case File

As Nova explored life on Earth, she quickly noticed something interesting about the students in her Grade 5 classroom. During the day, they laughed together, worked in groups, and played games at recess. But when the final school bell rang, their conversations didn’t end, they simply moved online.

This afternoon, Nova’s new friend Liam smiled and said,

“You should join our game tonight! Almost everyone in our school plays on the same server after dinner.”

Nova was excited. “A game just for students at my new school?” she thought. It sounded like the perfect way to make new friends.

That evening, Nova asked her parents if she could download the game, and she created her player profile. She assumed that because her classmates had invited her, only students from her school would be able to see her profile.

Wanting everyone to know who she was, Nova wrote:

Hi everyone! I’m Nova! 😊 I’m the new Grade 5 student at St. Alphonsus Catholic Elementary School this year. I hope I get to meet all of you soon! Since I think we’re all from the same school, I thought I’d tell you a little about myself. After school, I usually hang out at the park by the school with my friends before heading home since it’s only a two-minute walk away. I’ll be online after 5:30 when my parents get home, so maybe we can play together then! My favourite colour is purple, and I can’t wait to make some new friends! 🚀

At first, everything seemed normal. Several players welcomed Nova to the game.

“Welcome, Nova! Hope you have fun!”

“Purple is my favourite colour too! 💜” Nova smiled.

“Everyone is so nice,” she thought.

A few moments later, another notification appeared.

“Awesome! My little brother goes to St. Alphonsus too. I’ll tell him to come say hi if he sees you tomorrow!” Nova tilted her head.

“That’s strange…” she thought. “I thought this server was only for Grade 5 students at my school. How can someone else’s older sibling see my profile?”

Before Nova could think about it any longer, another notification popped up.

“Hey! I think I’ve seen you at King Edward Park before. Do you live on Westcott Street? I go to a different school, but we should meet up at the park after school sometime. I live really close!”

Nova’s throat tightened. She had never met this person before. How did they know the name of the park? Why were they trying to guess where she lived?

For the first time since arriving on Earth, Nova realized that someone she didn’t know had learned a lot about her just by reading her profile. Even though the person had guessed the wrong street, her street was the next one over, and they knew enough about her daily routine to make her feel uncomfortable.

Feeling unsure about what to do next, Nova immediately sent you, a digital ambassador, an emergency transmission:

“Digital Ambassadors, I need your help! I thought I was only sharing my profile with students from our school, but now people I don’t know are talking about where I go after school and trying to guess where I live. Did I accidentally share too much information? What should I do now?”

Your Mission:

Help Nova become a safer digital citizen. Work together to complete each investigation, identify the privacy risks, and give Nova advice for protecting her personal information online.