Imagine leaving your house on a Saturday morning with someone following your every move (without your consent) as soon as you walk out the door! They tag along to your neighborhood cafe where you always get your favorite cup of coffee, local department store to pick up that dress or shoe that you’ve been eying for a while, and even eavesdrop on your phone or text conversation with your friend over where to meet up later for lunch. Creepy right?

Well, that’s exactly what we’ve become accustomed to these days in our increasingly digital lives! Whether it’s searching for information on Google®, socializing with friends on social networking sites like Facebook® or Twitter®, or communicating with loved ones via voice or text, privacy, anonymity, and security are seemingly a thing of the past. Online and mobile tracking companies monitor our every move while hackers invade our accounts (yes, I was stuck in Paris and needed my friends to bail me out and didn’t even know about it!)  And, we share personal information on social media readily, leaving a digital footprint that we cannot erase.

Does it have to be this way, we wonder? Can we take our privacy back or better yet, could we at least ensure that our children’s online privacy is protected so they can have the privacy (except from snoopy parents and siblings) and anonymity that we enjoyed way into adulthood? Don’t they deserve the same? If you think they do, check out these 5 apps that will help you not only protect your kids online privacy (and in some cases your own), but also encourage them to do it.

1. Diceware

Want to ensure that your children’s accounts are protected and full proof? Try Diceware. The app allows you or your kids to create complicated and encrypted passwords that are difficult to copy. And remember, never use your children’s real names to create online accounts! Kids love to play pretend so coming up with fake account names is sure to be a winning activity to motivate them to secure their privacy and keep identity thieves away.  Diceware is available for iOS 6.0 or later and compatible with iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod® touch. You can download this Advanced Password Creator app for $.99 on iTunes®.

2. Disconnect Kids

The web sites that your children visit and activities in their phones or tablets should only be visible to you and your kids! Disconnect Kids, a fun and educational app for children (and adults), does not only block mobile tracking services from monitoring your kids web browsing and in-app activity, but also teaches children and parents about online privacy in an exciting and engaging way.  Disconnect Kids is available for iOS 6.0 or later and compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.  You can download the App for free on iTunes®.

3. Ghostery

Shouldn’t we have a say in the data that’s collected about our kids? After all, we are responsible for overseeing all of their activity and keeping them safe.  Ghostery protects your children’s online privacy by allowing them to discover and block companies that track their browsing habits. Since we all know that children love to explore, this mobile online privacy app is sure to be a hit and motivate your kids to care about their privacy. Ghostery is available for iOS 7.0 or later and compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. You can download the online privacy app for free on iTunes.

4. Silent Circle

Your conversations with your family and friends are private and should only be privy to you.  Silent Circle ensures that your voice and text messages remain just that, private. The app is available for iOS 5.0 or later and compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. You can download Silent Circle for free on iTunes.  Silent Circle is also available for Android 2.3.3 and up and you can download it for free on Google® Play.

5. DuckDuckGo

Your children’s searches online are nobody’s business. Whether it’s research for school projects or just for fun, DuckDuckGo makes sure that your kids online searches remain anonymous! The app is available for iOS 6.1 or later and compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. You can download DuckDuckGo for free on iTunes®.  DuckDuckGo is also available for Android 2.2 and up and you can download it for free on Google Play.

Teaching your children about online privacy and motivating them to protect it does not have to be challenging.  The secret to success is finding the tools that get you and your child involved in a fun, engaging, and relatable way.  With these 5 online privacy apps, you’re well on your path to victory.

How about you? What apps are you using to secure your kids and your own online privacy. Please share with us and our readers here. We would love to hear from you.

Stay inspired.