Attorney General Racine Launches Social Media Accounts with Online Safety Presentation for Students at Deal Middle School

Partners from Facebook & Family Online Safety Council Teach Students about Online Security

WASHINGTON, D. C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine launched his official social media accounts today at his alma mater, Alice Deal Middle School, in conjunction with an Internet safety presentation.

“I am excited to announce that, today, the world of social media now includes the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia,” said Attorney General Racine. “These new tools will help us expand our outreach to the community, highlight how our office works to serve and protect District residents, and provide residents a way to interact with our office and give us feedback on how we can better serve them and their families.”

Attorney General Racine also stressed the importance of smart digital citizenship. “Social media has increased our capacity to communicate, learn, and share our stories,” he said. “But it also comes with hidden risks, which is why it’s so important to teach students how to protect themselves online.”

Antigone Davis, Head of Global Safety at Facebook, walked students through best practices for ensuring a smart and safe online experience. She helped answer student questions along with Family Online Safety Institute Strategic Consultant Holly Hawkins. “Our goal today was to arm students with the latest, most relevant tools and information to control their experience and stay safe online,” she said. “We hope they put the safety tips we discussed into action and make safety an ongoing conversation with their parents and teachers.”

The safety presentation covered many topics, including some high-level tips for students to remember:

• Don’t share your password with anyone.
• Only accept friend requests from people you know.
• Think before you share; don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your parents, teachers, or employers to see.
• Be authentic. The real you is better than anything you might pretend to be.
• Learn about privacy settings, and review them often.

To follow Attorney General Racine on social media, visit oag.dc.gov or directly visit:

• www.facebook.com/dcoag, or search for “Attorney General Karl A. Racine” on Facebook.
• www.twitter.com/AGKarlRacine, or search for “AG Karl A. Racine” or “@AGKarlRacine” on Twitter.
• www.instagram.com/agkarlracine, or search for “AG Karl A. Racine” or “@AGKarlRacine” on Instagram.
• YouTube Channel or search for “Attorney General Karl A. Racine” on YouTube.