Yahoo! Messenger Safety Guide

What is Yahoo! Messenger?

Yahoo! Messenger is an all-in-one communication tool that lets you exchange instant messages and emails, make phone calls, and share photos with friends and family.

You could use Yahoo! Messenger to send instant messages about homework to a classmate, chat with friends or family around the country, or read sports and entertainment headlines with the Yahoo! News plug-in.

To learn more, check out the Yahoo! Messenger Help.

What are some potential risks on Yahoo! Messenger?

Everyone using Yahoo! Messenger must follow the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

But just as there may be risks in the town where you live, the Yahoo! Messenger community may pose certain risks. Yahoo! Messenger offers a number of safety features, but you are expected to take an active role in protecting yourself online.

Start by reviewing some general practices for online safety. Also keep the following in mind when you use Yahoo! Messenger:

• Protect personal information. Don’t give out personal information when exchanging instant messages with unknown people. A stranger could use this information to figure out your physical location.
• Harassment. Other people using Yahoo! Messenger can see when you are online unless you change the Messenger preferences to ignore anyone not on your Messenger List. If unknown people contact you by instant message, they say unpleasant, sexually suggestive, or abusive things. Think carefully about who you want to communicate with and who to ignore. Also avoid clicking on Web links sent by strangers because these could be spam, viruses, or other annoying web sites.
• Mature content. You could receive harmful files or explicit photos through Yahoo! Messenger. Only open files and photos from trusted contacts. If you receive inappropriate material, please report the abuse to Yahoo!.
• Voice calls. Yahoo! Messenger offers built-in voice calling features, both free computer-to-computer calls and fee-based computer-to-telephone calls. Unless your preferences are set to ignore unknown people, you could receive calls or voice messages that contain unpleasant, sexually suggestive, or abusive language. Think carefully about who you want to communicate with and who to ignore. Please note that 911 emergency services are not available through Yahoo! Messenger’s voice calling.
• Webcam. Yahoo! Messenger allows people to connect webcams and display videos of themselves to the Yahoo! community. If you use a webcam and have contact with strangers, they might try to convince you to pose or act in an inappropriate manner. If you views others' webcams, you might be exposed to sexually explicit images.
• Chat. Yahoo! Messenger also contains online chat features, but Yahoo! members under the age of 18 are not permitted to use chat. Online chat carries the risk of encountering unpleasant, sexually suggestive, or abusive language, as well as opening you up to people who might try to contact you by phone or in person. To find a safer place for younger people to chat, browse Yahoo! Kids’ chat category.
• Payments. Yahoo! Messenger offers premium, fee-based voice calling services that require a credit card for payment on Yahoo! Wallet. If you have access to a credit card, you should discuss what constitutes appropriate use of the card with the person who pays the bill.

What can be done to limit these risks? Review Yahoo! Messenger’s safety features, learn how to report abuse, and ask your parents or caregivers for help staying safer using Yahoo! Messenger.

What safety features should I know about to help protect myself on Yahoo! Messenger?

Yahoo! Messenger has a number of safety features. In addition to knowing how to manage contacts, you should be able to do the following:

• Use an avatar. An avatar is a custom cartoon character that can be used to represent yourself on Yahoo! Messenger in place of a real, identifiable photo. Yahoo! Avatars lets you create a personalized character with different hairstyles, clothing combinations, accessories, and backgrounds.
• Use an alias. An alias can be used in place of you real Yahoo! ID when you IM with people. To use an alias, open the Send As pull-down menu on the bottom of the screen before typing a message. If you don’t have an alias, you can create one by selecting My Profiles on the Messenger menu and following the instructions to Create/Edit My Profiles. An alias without any personally identifiable information is best. For example, instead of "tedjones1992dallas," try something more generic like "bluesky50." Learn more about choosing an online ID.
• Change online status. People on you Messenger List can see your online status (“Available,” "Not at My Desk,” etc.). For additional privacy — or just to avoid distractions during homework— set your online status to “Invisible.”
• Avoid contact with unpleasant people. Those who make inappropriate or unpleasant contacts or who simply won’t go away can be avoided. You can change your online status to “Invisible,” use stealth settings to selectively appear online or offline to specific people, ignore specific users or anyone not on your Messenger List, or delete a contact entirely.
• Archive instant messages. If archiving is turned on, Yahoo! Messenger will automatically save all IM conversations. If someone makes inappropriate, offensive, harassing, or sexually explicit comments to you, you can review the saved conversation. Make sure to send a copy of these IMs when you report the abuse.

Yahoo! Messenger also offers voice calling. If you use this service, you should know how to do the following:

• Ignore users. Stop calls from specific people or, for more privacy, block anyone who is not on your Messenger List.
• Set Caller ID. Change settings to identify the origin of incoming calls and hide contact information on outgoing calls.
• View call history. Turn on archiving to save old voice messages and a list of past calls.

Yahoo! Messenger can also install and use a webcam. If you use a webcam, place the computer and webcam in a public area of your home so others can see what’s going on. In addition, make sure that you know how to do the following.

• Control who can watch. Specify who can watch the webcam and make everyone else ask for permission. Many webcams come with software that shows who is watching, as well as features to block people who try to watch as “anonymous.”
• Manage Yahoo! Messenger’s status message. Don't allow other people to see that you have a webcam. Select Preferences on the Messenger pull-down menu. On the Webcam tab, uncheck the box next to When I show my webcam, change my status message to:.
• Ignore people. Prevent specific people from asking to view you webcam or, for more privacy, block anyone who is not on your Messenger List.

Yahoo! Messenger also contains features for joining chat rooms, however, Yahoo! members under the age of 18 are not permitted to use Yahoo! Chat. To learn more about chat, please review Yahoo! Chat’s general safety precautions. To find a safer place for younger people to chat, browse Yahoo! Kids’ chat category.

Finally, you can report any inappropriate contact or offensive communication from other Messenger users to Yahoo!.

How can I report problems that I encounter on Yahoo! Messenger?

Yahoo! Messenger has a customer care form to report abuse. Please complete this form if you are exposed to obscene language, mature content, threats of physical violence, harassment, or anything else that violates the Yahoo! Terms of Service. Make sure to provide specific information about the location of the offending content and the identity of the user in question.

Yahoo!’s customer care team receives abuse reports and takes appropriate action as necessary, which may include deactivating an abuser’s account. Reports that indicate activity involving child pornography or solicitation of a minor are dealt with promptly by Yahoo!’s legal team and, when appropriate, reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

What can I do use Yahoo! Messenger in a safer manner?

Yahoo! is committed to providing a safer online experience for everyone and, accordingly, complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Yahoo! Messenger provides a number of safety features to limit potential risks. However, protecting young people online is a responsibility shared with parents, teachers, and other caregivers.

You should start by learning some basic practices for online safety. These include safeguarding identity online, keeping passwords secret, being cautious about contact with strangers, and creating a family pledge for online safety.

You can also archive your instant message conversations and voice calling and voice message history and review these with your parents or caregivers.

If you are exposed to obscene language, mature content, threats of physical violence, harassment, or anything else that violates the Yahoo! Messenger Terms of Service, please report the abuse.