Be Internet Awesome
by Google
This app has not yet been evaluated against our instructional invariants. The analysis below is based on independent research.
Be Internet Awesome does not meet our data transparency standard. Its privacy policy does not reference COPPA and does not reference FERPA.
The Bottom Line
Partially. While Be Internet Awesome uses engaging gamification to introduce digital citizenship concepts, its reliance on multiple-choice trivia limits deep cognitive processing. The program excels at building foundational awareness of phishing, privacy, and online kindness, but lacks the spaced retrieval practice necessary to ensure long-term behavioral change in actual online environments.
Pros
- Uses scenario-based examples to help students identify phishing attempts and unsafe sharing practices.
- Provides immediate corrective feedback when learners select incorrect actions during minigames.
- Offers a comprehensive educator dashboard with blended learning lesson plans for classroom reinforcement.
- Reduces cognitive load by separating distinct digital citizenship themes into distinct, easily digestible game worlds.
Cons
- Relies heavily on recognition rather than recall, limiting the depth of memory encoding.
- Lacks spaced repetition mechanics to reinforce safety concepts over time.
- Does not simulate realistic social media environments where kids actually practice these skills.
- Fails to adapt difficulty based on individual student performance or prior knowledge.
Does Be Internet Awesome Actually Teach?
Be Internet Awesome provides a strong, engaging introduction to online safety but requires supplementary parent-led discussion to cement true digital literacy. Your child will play through Interland, a visually appealing game world that introduces concepts like strong passwords, identifying scams, and cyberbullying prevention. The program relies heavily on gamification to capture attention, which effectively motivates learners but can sometimes overshadow the educational content. Because the game relies mostly on multiple-choice questions and simple platforming mechanics, it tests recognition rather than deep application of skills. The Learning Standard has not yet formally evaluated this program's efficacy data, but learning science indicates that these types of scenario-based lessons work best when paired with real-world practice. Parents should use the game as a springboard for conversations about digital habits rather than a standalone safety course. Without real-world context and spaced retrieval practice, your child may struggle to transfer the skills learned in the game to actual online environments like social media or multiplayer games.
How Does Be Internet Awesome Help Students Learn?
Be Internet Awesome utilizes game-based learning and scenario-driven instruction to teach foundational digital citizenship. The core student experience happens within Interland, a browser-based game divided into four distinct worlds that each target a specific learning objective: password security, scam identification, mindful sharing, and online kindness. Your child navigates a character through these 3D environments, encountering obstacles that require them to answer multiple-choice questions or complete simple logic puzzles to progress. The program provides immediate feedback, correcting mistakes on the spot so learners understand why a particular password is weak or a specific email is a phishing attempt. For educators, the platform provides a blended learning curriculum consisting of slide decks, printable activities, and discussion prompts designed to move the learning from the screen to the classroom. This dual approach ensures that the gamified introduction is followed by direct instruction and peer discussion.
Where Does Be Internet Awesome Excel and Fall Short?
The biggest strength of Be Internet Awesome is its highly engaging, low-barrier entry to complex digital safety topics, while its biggest weakness is the lack of realistic simulation and spaced retrieval practice. The program brilliantly utilizes worked examples and scenario-based learning to make abstract threats like phishing and data privacy concrete for elementary and middle school students. By embedding these lessons in a polished, gamified environment, it sustains student attention and reduces the cognitive load typically associated with dense cybersecurity instruction. However, the game relies heavily on multiple-choice mechanics, which only demand recognition memory rather than the active recall required to build deep, lasting knowledge. Furthermore, because it does not use spaced repetition, students are likely to forget these safety protocols once they close the browser. The scenarios, while helpful, are cartoonish and do not mimic the actual interfaces of social media apps or text messages where kids face real digital dilemmas. Consequently, students may struggle with transfer of learning, failing to apply the game's lessons when confronting actual online bullying or scams.
Is Be Internet Awesome Right for Your Child?
Be Internet Awesome is best for elementary and middle school students who need a structured, highly visual introduction to basic digital citizenship and online safety. Designed for grades 3 through 8, it serves as an excellent starting point for kids who are just getting their first smartphone, email address, or social media account. Educators will find it highly useful as a supplementary activity that pairs with direct classroom instruction on cyberbullying and privacy. Parents looking for a conversational icebreaker regarding internet rules will benefit from playing alongside their child.
Frequently Asked Questions About Be Internet Awesome
Is Be Internet Awesome free?
Yes, Be Internet Awesome is completely free for both families and educators. Google provides the Interland game, along with all associated lesson plans, slide decks, and printable resources, at no cost and without any in-app purchases or subscriptions.
Is Be Internet Awesome good for elementary students?
Yes, the program is specifically designed for students in grades 3 through 8. The cartoonish graphics, simplified vocabulary, and straightforward platforming mechanics make the concepts of data privacy and phishing highly accessible for younger learners without overwhelming them with technical jargon.
What does Be Internet Awesome teach?
Be Internet Awesome teaches foundational digital citizenship, focusing on five core pillars: sharing with care, avoiding online scams, securing passwords, practicing digital kindness, and communicating openly with adults about online experiences. It does not teach technical computer science or coding.
Is Be Internet Awesome safe for kids?
Yes, Be Internet Awesome is incredibly safe. It is a closed, browser-based environment with no social interaction, chat features, or user-generated content. It requires no personal information or account creation to play, ensuring complete data privacy for your child.
How does Be Internet Awesome compare to Common Sense Education?
While Be Internet Awesome relies heavily on gamification and a polished 3D world to introduce safety concepts, Common Sense Education offers a more comprehensive, traditional curriculum with deeper dives into media literacy and digital well-being. Google's program is more self-directed for kids, whereas Common Sense is primarily educator-led.
Has The Learning Standard evaluated Be Internet Awesome?
Be Internet Awesome is currently pending evaluation by our research team. While we have analyzed its pedagogical approach here, we have not yet run it through our formal rubrics. You can read more about how we rate educational efficacy in our methodology section.
Is Be Internet Awesome COPPA compliant?
No — its privacy policy does not reference COPPA. The policy does not explicitly reference COPPA compliance.
Is Be Internet Awesome FERPA compliant?
No — its privacy policy does not reference FERPA. The policy does not explicitly reference FERPA compliance.
Does Be Internet Awesome have a children's privacy policy?
Yes — it has a dedicated children's privacy section. Google Accounts Managed with Family Link, for Children under 13
Does Be Internet Awesome sell student data?
Its privacy policy does not clearly state that it refrains from selling student data. The policy does not explicitly state a commitment to not sell data in this text.
Can you delete your data from Be Internet Awesome?
Yes — its privacy policy describes how to delete your account or data. Delete your entire Google Account
Data Transparency
Be Internet Awesome does not meet our data transparency standard. Its privacy policy does not reference COPPA and does not reference FERPA.
12 of 35 checks passed
Evaluated July 2026
View privacy policy →View all 35 checks
Parent Access1/8
Does the policy mention parents specifically?
“The policy does not explicitly mention parents in the provided text.”
Can parents view their child's data?
“The policy does not address parents viewing their child's data.”
Can parents modify their child's data?
“The policy does not address parents modifying their child's data.”
Can parents delete their child's account?
“The policy does not address parents deleting their child's account.”
Is there a dedicated Children's Privacy section?
“Google Accounts Managed with Family Link, for Children under 13”
Does it reference COPPA compliance?
“The policy does not explicitly reference COPPA compliance.”
Does it reference FERPA compliance?
“The policy does not explicitly reference FERPA compliance.”
Is parental consent required for child accounts?
“The policy does not explicitly state that parental consent is required.”
Data Portability3/5
Can users access their personal data?
“My Activity allows you to review and control data that's saved to your Google Account”
Can users download/export their data?
“You can export a copy of content in your Google Account if you want to back it up”
Is there a self-service data access tool?
“Google Dashboard allows you to manage information associated with specific products.”
Is a specific data format mentioned for export?
“No specific data format is mentioned for export in the text.”
Is there an API for data access?
“No API for data access is mentioned in the text.”
Data Minimization3/6
Is data collection itemized?
“The activity information we collect may include: Terms you search for, Videos you watch”
Can the app be used without a real name?
“You can use many Google services when you're signed out or without creating an account at all”
Can the app be used without an email?
“You can use many Google services when you're signed out or without creating an account at all”
Does it state collection is limited to what is necessary?
“The policy does not explicitly state collection is limited to what is necessary.”
Is IP address anonymized or truncated?
“The policy logs IP addresses but does not mention anonymizing or truncating them.”
Is location tracking explicitly excluded?
“We collect location information when you use our services, which helps us offer features”
Third-Party Protection2/7
Does it explicitly state no selling of data?
“The policy does not explicitly state a commitment to not sell data in this text.”
Are third-party providers named?
“The policy mentions trusted partners generally but does not explicitly name third-party providers.”
Are providers contractually restricted?
“The policy does not explicitly state that third-party providers are contractually restricted.”
No-targeted-advertising commitment?
“we may also show you personalized ads based on your interests and activity across Google services.”
Is AI/ML data sharing addressed?
“provide results, curated feeds, and AI responses that are personalized to you based on info”
Child-specific sharing restriction?
“The policy does not detail specific sharing restrictions for children's data.”
Cookies/tracking limited or opt-out?
“You can configure your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent.”
Deletion & Retention2/5
Can users delete their account?
“Delete your entire Google Account”
Self-service deletion mechanism?
“Search for and then delete specific items from your account using My Activity”
Specific data retention timeline?
“The policy mentions retaining information but does not provide specific retention timelines.”
Auto-deletion of inactive accounts?
“The policy does not explicitly mention auto-deletion of inactive accounts.”
Post-deletion handling described?
“The policy does not specifically describe post-deletion data handling procedures.”
Advertising1/4
Advertising model explicitly disclosed?
“Depending on your settings, we may also show you personalized ads based on your interests”
Free from third-party advertisements?
“The policy actively discloses that it serves advertisements rather than being free of them.”
Children excluded from ad targeting?
“The policy does not explicitly state children are excluded from ad targeting in this text.”
Ad-free option available?
“The policy does not mention an ad-free option.”
What This Means
This app does not provide adequate data transparency for parents. This may mean you cannot easily access your child's data, understand what information is collected, or request deletion of personal information. We recommend considering alternatives that provide better data transparency, or using our template letters to request your data rights be honored.
About this evaluation: Based on automated analysis of Be Internet Awesome's privacy policy using the Common Sense Privacy Program framework. Evaluation covers 35 binary checks across 6 dimensions. Privacy policies can change — this evaluation reflects the most recent version we analyzed.
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For Be Internet Awesome
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- Pricing
- Free
- Platforms
- Web Browser, iPadOS (Apple tablet), Android (Google mobile), Other
- Grade Levels
- 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade
- Website
- Visit site