Where did you install Firefox from? Help Mozilla uncover 3rd party websites that offer problematic Firefox installation by taking part in our campaign. There will be swag, and you'll be featured in our blog if you manage to report at least 10 valid reports!

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

How to prevent users with dementia releasing personal information on-line

  • 1 reply
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by cor-el

more options

Elderly users with dementia or other psychiatric probems are likely to neglect the security of their personal information. e.g. they readily reply to scam emails or post personal details on social media - such as their real name, address, phone number and bank details without any regard to possible misuse of this information. Warning them is no use as they do not retain any new information and may be unaware of or in denial concerning their mental disabilities.

My question is whether there are any extensions or add-ons which would enable them to continue browsing the internet safely, without putting themselves at risk.

I wondered whether something like a benign man-in-the-middle function could substitute their real personal information for fake personal information generated by a look-up table.

A family member with access to their computer could install a modified browser or whatever, so that the user thought they were posting their own details on-line, but in fact each time they put in "Harry Jones, 22 Acacia Avenue" this appeared on-line as "Zaphod Beeblebrox, 22 Olympus Mons" and vice-versa.

Obviously substantial deception is involved here, but anyone with a family member with dementia will know full well that almost any kind of lies are justified if they help protect their relative from real external harm or their own mental fragility.

If this is not the best forum for me to be asking this question, I would appreciate being directed to one which is more suitable.

Thanks in advance!

Mr. Jelly

Elderly users with dementia or other psychiatric probems are likely to neglect the security of their personal information. e.g. they readily reply to scam emails or post personal details on social media - such as their real name, address, phone number and bank details without any regard to possible misuse of this information. Warning them is no use as they do not retain any new information and may be unaware of or in denial concerning their mental disabilities. My question is whether there are any extensions or add-ons which would enable them to continue browsing the internet safely, without putting themselves at risk. I wondered whether something like a benign man-in-the-middle function could substitute their real personal information for fake personal information generated by a look-up table. A family member with access to their computer could install a modified browser or whatever, so that the user thought they were posting their own details on-line, but in fact each time they put in "Harry Jones, 22 Acacia Avenue" this appeared on-line as "Zaphod Beeblebrox, 22 Olympus Mons" and vice-versa. Obviously substantial deception is involved here, but anyone with a family member with dementia will know full well that almost any kind of lies are justified if they help protect their relative from real external harm or their own mental fragility. If this is not the best forum for me to be asking this question, I would appreciate being directed to one which is more suitable. Thanks in advance! Mr. Jelly

All Replies (1)

more options

I'm not aware of any such extensions or software for Linux that warns if you enter personal data in a form on a web page.

On Windows there may be security software that has such a warn feature, but I've never heard of anything for Linux if that is what you are looking for (you posted with a Linux computer).