CyberChat #17
As we dive into new classes and reconnect with friends this school year, this is also the perfect time to refresh our commitment to staying safe online. As a trusted adult to a middle schooler, staying vigilant about our privacy settings and updating our passwords can help keep our digital life secure. Apps and trends are constantly evolving, and taking the necessary precautionary steps makes a huge difference. Here’s to a smart and safe school year, both in and out of the classroom!
JESSICA BRAVO
Development Associate
Instagram Map Feature
Instagram’s Map launched on August 6, 2025. This new, controversial feature allows your followers to see your exact location, placing you on a digital map. This location-sharing ability has raised safety concerns.
A bipartisan group of 37 state attorneys general warned in a letter that “unrestricted location-sharing features pose a particular risk for minors as sexual predators can readily use them to identify and geographically target children in the real world.” In the letter, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez and others called for Meta, which owns Instagram, to disable the Map feature entirely for underage users. Meta responded that since the feature is off by default, requires a user to opt in, and can be turned off at any time, it is not a significant threat to safety. They also noted that parental controls allow the map feature to be blocked.
This feature is not new for social apps. Snapchat’s Snap Map feature was launched on June 21, 2017. This feature allows users to see the locations of their friends and events happening nearby, as long as those friends have opted to share their location.
Instagram Repost Feature
Instagram’s Repost feature also launched on August 6, 2025. Reposts allow you to share public reels and feed posts directly to your followers’ feeds. You cannot repost content from a private account. Meta advertises that this new feature makes it easier to share your interests with friends. It is easy to click the repost button by accident. Instagram assures that a repost can be undone if you click the button again.
TikTok Ban Update
The Trump Administration has extended the TikTok ban three times, with its next deadline coming up on September 17. They want to force the Chinese company ByteDance to sell to a non-Chinese buyer or face a ban in the United States due to security concerns. This week, the White House created an official TikTok account. The Chinese government responded with an article on China Daily, detailing “the hypocrisy of the US side’s alleged ‘security’ charges against TikTok.” ByteDance has informed the Trump Administration that it will not be selling its algorithm to a non-Chinese entity.
San Diego Unified Phone Policy
For the first time in its history, the San Diego Unified School District implemented a Phone-Free School Day Policy for the 2025-26 school year, which began on August 11, the first day of the school year.
This phone policy is in response to the Phone-Free School Act, which was passed in September 2024. The bill requires that every school district, charter school, and county office of education develop a policy limiting the use of smartphones by July 1, 2026. Governor Gavin Newsom stated, “We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues – but we have the power to intervene. This new law will help students focus on academics, social development, and the world in front of them, not their screens, when they’re in school.”
According to the district website, the policy states that phones may not be used during regular school hours as defined by each school’s bell schedule. Phone use is permitted before and after school hours, with high schools allowing additional use before the first bell, during lunch, and during passing periods.
The San Diego Unified School District stated that it will take the following steps in its enforcement plan:
- Verbal reminders
- Counselor referral
- Parent contact
- Phone retention (instructional time or full day)
- Event/activity restrictions for ongoing violations
We encourage parents and guardians to become familiar with the phone policy for their child’s school district.
Resources
- New York Post: Attorneys General Letter
- Instagram: New Features
- White House Launches TikTok Account
- China Daily Article
- San Diego Unified School District Phone-Free Policy
- California Phone-Free School Act
SafetyNet: Smart Cyber Choices® is a collaborative program of the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SD-ICAC) and the San Diego Police Foundation. It is designed to help kids, parents, educators, and concerned adults learn how to keep kids safe online.