4 Online Safety Tips for #DataPrivacyDay

Did you know that January 28, 2016 is Data Privacy Day? Data Privacy Day was created to help raise awareness about the importance of online security. While online safety is important in all aspects of the internet, it is particularly important when playing online games like Wizard101 and Pirate101. Let’s explore some helpful tips to keep your personal information and KingsIsle game accounts safe.

Never share your password with anyone.

Some dishonest people online may seek to gain control of your game account by offering to give you Crowns or in-game items if you share your account with them. To keep all of our players’ account safe, it is against the Terms of Use to share your password, and thus share your account, with anyone. If you do this, you will lose your account forever, and that’s no fun! Always remember, KingsIsle employees will never ask for your password. More information about the dangers of account sharing can be found in this helpful video from Wizard101 Help and Support.

Protect your identity online.

It’s fun to make friends in online games, but personal information isn’t always appropriate to share in game. Parents should discuss with their children the types of information that shouldn’t be shared online, such as home address, phone number and full name. It’s easy to control your child’s interactions within Wizard101 and Pirate101 by using the various chat settings available. The safest version available for young players is Menu Chat, which allows player to use pre-selected phrases to communicate. To access your account chat settings visit, My Account and then Parental Controls at the Wizard101 or Pirate101 websites. Learn more about the various chat settings in our Players Guide.

Look out for imposters.

Some people online may attempt to access your game account or personal information by pretending to work for KingsIsle. If you need help from customer support, send an email to help@kingsisle.com. KingsIsle Customer Support will never reply back to your email, or send you emails directly, from any domain other than Kingsisle.com. For example, we will never email you from gmail.com or yahoo.com. Also, KingsIsle will never ask for your whole credit card number, expiration date or pin code. In game, KingsIsle employees have a special KingsIsle Support badge. If any player claims to work for KingsIsle, but is not able to show you this badge, do not believe them as they may be an imposter.

Cheating can cheat you.

Any program claiming to be able to cheat, “hack,” or generate Crowns should not be trusted. Players should also be wary of websites or social media users (with the exception those on our Official Fan Sites list) that offer to give you free Crowns or in-game items. While some of these may be honest attempts at a giveaway, others may have purchased these codes using stolen credit cards which will then put your game account at risk if you redeem them. Also, do not buy Gold, Crowns, bundles or subscriptions from any other site than the official sources for Wizard101 and Pirate101. Purchasing through unauthorized third party sources can put your credit card and game account at risk of being stolen.

Following the tips above is a great place to start in keeping your account and personal information safe while playing KingsIsle games. Practicing good judgement online is important for players of all ages. For parents looking to learn more about general online safety for their children, Google Safety Center is a great resource.

Here’s to happy and safe online gaming in 2016!