Yahoo! Chat allows people from all over the world to chat, make friends, and build communities. Yahoo! Chat can be an enriching experience, but everyone should be aware that, like in any public area on the Internet or the "real world," there are some people who want to take advantage of your trust.

To help create a safer chatting experience, we have put together this guide to help our customers protect themselves while online. The topics covered in this article are:

• Use an alias to protect your identity
• Step 1: Select your alias
• Step 2: Create your alias
• Step 3: Enter a chat room with an alias
• Techniques for safer chatting

Use an alias to protect your identity

Each person who ventures online needs to be identified by an ID, either their real Yahoo! ID or an alias. An alias is a unique nickname that allows others to “recognize” a person who is participating in an Internet community while hiding their real ID information.

Yahoo! Chat offers the ability to chat under an alias, which allows members to hide their Yahoo! ID and email address. We strongly encourage you to use this feature to protect your identity and prevent uninvited contact from people you don’t know or trust. To find out more about creating an alias, go to the help article How to Set Up an Alias.

Step 1: Select your alias

Have fun choosing your new alias! Remember that your alias is a way others in a chat room can identify you. Our recommendation is to NOT divulge any accurate personal information in your alias. You don't want strangers to know too much about you just from seeing your ID.

Online IDs can communicate something about the person behind them, so be certain of what you are willing to share. For example, the name "Butterflyfan" indicates that this user might be fond of butterflies. There is little risk of someone being able to distinguish one fan of butterflies from the millions of others who exist in the world. On the other hand, the name "Butterflies4Jane" might go too far. It provides someone with a name—both a conversation starter and a misguided sense of familiarity.

When creating a new alias, we suggest that you leave out the following personal information:

• First and last name
• Address
• Phone number
• Family names

Whatever you choose, remember that your alias should be suitable, not too revealing, along with being fun.

Step 2: Create your alias

When you have selected an alias name that you think might be safe and fun to use, add it to your profile. To find out more about creating an alias, go to the help article How to Set Up an Alias.

Step 3: Enter a chat room with an alias

You can enter a chat room with an alias in a few steps. For instructions about how to enter a chat room, see the help article How to Enter a Chat Room.

Techniques for safer chatting

• Don’t chat about things that could let a stranger to locate you. That includes your last name, the name of your school or workplace, the city you live in, and where you hang out.
• Protect your information. Don’t put identifiable information in your user profile, including photos. What's uploaded to the Internet can be downloaded and shared by anyone. Avoid posting photos that allow people to identify you, especially sexually suggestive images. Before uploading a photo, think about how you'd feel if it were seen by a parent, friend, or future employer.
• Never meet with someone you encounter in a chat room unless you already know who they are.
• Be honest about your age. Yahoo! Chat is restricted to users who are 18 years of age or older. If you are too young to sign up, do not attempt to lie about your age. Talk with your parents about alternative sites that might be appropriate for you.

For more information about online safety, as well as how to handle and report abuse on Yahoo! Chat, please visit the following Yahoo! sites:

• Online Safety
• Acceptable behavior on Yahoo!