Privacy x GarWu

Lauren Wu at Northwestern University Podium in classroom wearing a hot pink shirt and black blazer.

Alea Garbagnati at Northwestern University Podium in classroom wearing a zippered dark charcoal hoodie and gray star sweater.

The last class of the term was bittersweet. In our Info Privacy class for @northwesternlaw.bsky.social, the students owned the night. Their research & analysis were impressive. To this year’s class: TY for your curiosity & hard work. The future of privacy is in capable hands. 🍎 #privacy #lawstudents

Red Christmas cactus with two blooms on a window sill in a green pot with a red bow

A LNY surprise from my #Christmascactus. Gotta love the existential crisis happening for this plant - do I bloom for Christmas or 2 months later? #bloomscrolling

Happy #lunarnewyear 🧧

Today we’re honoring #Seollal & #ChineseNewYear — family, renewal, intention, prosperity.

LNY energy is powerful:
Clear what no longer serves.
Protect what matters.
Design on purpose.
(Yes, it applies to data too.)

Wishing you health, wisdom, & abundance.

新年快乐
새해 복 많이 받으세요

Red heart-shaped lock with a gold key. Writing says "privacyxgarwu" and "you are the key...to the encryption of my heart!".

Pink background with red hearts. There's a pink envelope in the middle with writing on the bottom, the writing says "privacyxgarwu". In the envelope is a stamped letter that says "Happy Valentine's Day! Roses are red, violets are fine, I'll be your firewall, will you be mine?"

Pink and red hearts over a beige background. Writing says "privacyxgarwu" and "Happy Valentine's Day. You've got the key to my heart, and I'm your two-factor authentication!". There's also a gold key.

Happy Valentine's Day!
Roses are red 🌹
Violets are blue 💙
Our love is encrypted 🔐
And 2FA too.

We made privacy pun valentines because teaching boundaries can be sweet, not scary.

“I’d never sell your data.”
“You auto-complete me.”
“I’d 2FA for you.”
📚❤️ 🍎 👩‍🔬

#GarWu #PrivacyIsLove #CyberSmartKids

Many 🧚 fairy tales ✨ are really about hidden intentions and power. Those same lessons apply to digital spaces — especially for kids. 📚❤️ 🍎 📖

Teach your kids about privacy and have your happily-ever-after.

🧒📖 Digital literacy doesn’t start with technical explanations. 📚🧚 It starts with teaching kids boundaries, consent, and choice — stories help make that possible. 📚❤️ 🍎🛡️

Illustrated intro graphic for GarWu by Alea and Lauren. A soft pastel background with clouds features playful text reading: “GarWu — Alea & Lauren. Privacy attorneys creating children’s stories that teach digital literacy through fairytales, not fear.” The image notes they are working toward a 2026 children’s book that helps kids learn about cookies, data sharing, and digital agency in age-appropriate ways. At the bottom are illustrations of children reading books, a teddy bear, a colorful children’s book labeled “Kids,” and whimsical icons like stars, rainbows, and lightbulbs. A section lists: fairytale-based privacy frameworks, ideas for parents, educators, and libraries, and story-driven approaches to early digital literacy. The tone is playful, gentle, and welcoming.

We’re Lauren & Alea.
Privacy attorneys creating children’s 📚❤️ books that teach digital literacy through fairy tales.

Here we share:
• Fairytale-based privacy ideas
• Help for parents & educators
• Story-driven approaches to digital literacy

We’re glad you’re here. 🍎

6. Educate on Phishing: Kids (and seniors) are prime targets. Teach them to spot fake emails and links. → A 12-year-old almost fell for a scam until her parents intervened with a quick lesson.

5. Parental Controls: Use tools like Qustodio to monitor and limit screen time. → A dad cut his son's exposure to inappropriate content by 90% using these controls.

4. Device Updates: Postpone updates? Big mistake. Always install the latest security patches. → A delay cost a family their savings when malware exploited an outdated system.

3. Social Media: Kids overshare. Set profiles to private and teach them about digital footprints. → A study showed 60% of teens regretted a post. Early education can prevent lifelong regrets.

2. App Permissions: Kids download apps without thinking. Disable location and camera access unless necessary. → One mom found her child's location was shared with strangers until she adjusted these settings.

1. Secure Wi-Fi: Hackers love weak passwords. Use WPA3 and change your password every 3 - 6 months. Use a phrase if you can't remember a word.

Have you ever unknowingly exposed your data or your kids' data to privacy risks? Below are 6 privacy tips that will shield your family like a pro 👇

These strategies are your armor in the data privacy battle. Stay vigilant, stay secure.

#privacy #themoreyouknow #privacyxgarwu

5️⃣ Keep privacy an ongoing conversation.
#KidsPrivacy #DigitalLiteracy #ParentingOnline #ChildrensData

5 parenting tips for raising privacy-smart kids on #DataPrivacyDay 🧒🔐
1️⃣ Teach “ask before you click.”
2️⃣ Explain data in kid language (names, photos, location).
3️⃣ Model consent before posting about your child.
4️⃣ Normalize saying "no" to apps that ask for too much data.
🧵

Photo of the California Coast on a sunny day, with a lush green cliff aside dark blue water. in the forefront is a picture of the cover of the book where a woman is smiling and staring at a jar with a Jellyfish instead.

Totally loved Jellyfish Scientist Maude Delap and Her Mesmerizing Medusas by Michelle Cusolito and illustrated by Ellen Rooney. You get to learn about the lifecycle of Jellyfish while learning about a trailblazing female scientist. Picked it up while visiting the Seymour Marine Discovery Center.

backdrop is a blue starry night sky. in the forefront is a group of colorful monsters of different shapes. the monster in the front is large red monster holding a yellow sign that reads the books title "This Book is Not a Bedtime Story"

In honor of spooky season being around the corner, this week's recommendation is a book about a not-so-scary monster who doesn't think it's bedtime. Written by Eoin McLaughlin and illustrated by Rob Starling, this book is good (not) bedtime fun. #bookrecs #kidlit 📚👍

image of a person in a bedsheet dressed up as a ghost and wearing sunglasses. the picture is set against a blue-gray background. the top of the image says "Boo!!" in a spooky off-white font. mid-picture, across the ghost, reads "Happy birthday, Lauren!" in black font.

Wishing the happiest and spookiest birthday to one of my favorite partners in crime. Happy birthday Lauren!

Picture of a book entitled Max almost Missed It by Chris Britt. The book has a white cover and featured a kid on his smartphone who is followed by animals. The book is set to a backdrop of an image of the Grand Canyon with a caption in white the says "For those who need to stop and look around."

Had a lovely family trip to Arizona, where we saw the Grand Canyon and picked up this adorable and relatable book, Max Almost Missed It by Chris Britt, about a kid who almost misses amazing sights because he's stuck on his phone. Do you relate? #bookrecs #kidlit 👍📚 #Nationalparkservice #grandcanyon

Arrrrre ye ready for #backtoschool? If yarrr're not, then Kindergarrrten Bus, written by Mike Ornstein and illustrated by Kevin Barry has ye covered. Reading the book in a pirate voice is a hit with the little scallywags (less so for m'vocal chords). #kidlit #pb #picturebooks #bookrecs 📚👍

The Interpreter is a heartfelt and funny #picturebook written by Olivia Abtahi and cleverly illustrated by Monica Arnaldo follows Cecilia, a young girl who has two important jobs - being a kid and translating for her parents. #kidlit #picturebooks #bookrecs 📚👍

Want a fun alternative to birthday party gifts? We've been doing book swaps. Everyone brings two books, each kid can take one book and the rest get donated. Fun way to trade books and help our library. #kidlit

Pink peonies and peony buds in a pink vase with white flowers on a white table with windows in the background

#peonies are my happy place. Enjoying every second of their season while they last, as I know it won’t be for long. #fridayflowers #prettyinpink 🌸 #bloomscrolling

Background of a library or home bookshelf. Text leading to the book title “For Those looking for…” picture of a Cover of “A Place To Read” by Leigh Hodgkinson. Text at the top reads “privacy by GarWu”.

A #kidlit #bookrec for a whimsical & quirky #PB exploring the important & ever-present challenge of finding the perfect place to read by Leigh Hodgkinson. It’s fun & cute. Great for young readers. 📚👍

Hot pink peony flower

Hot pink peony flower bloom and bud

Pretty #peonies for #fridayflowers

Happy Friday!

So excited for these blooms!

#bloomscrolling

Cover image of The Book That Can Read Your Mind. At the top in a tan banner is black text reading: For Those Who Want A Few Magic Tricks Up Their Sleeve. On the Left side in small tan text is: Privacy x GarWu. The background is navy blue with gold celestial images like stars, moons, planets, orbits, etc.

A #kidlit #bookrec for those who want (need) a magic trick up their sleeve. The Book That Can Read Your Mind, by Marianna Coppo, is the perfect read aloud book (4-8). It captures & delights the mind🪄 . It's a perfect 📚💙 & game all in one magical package 💫 . We had a 🚀 reading it to our littles. 📚👍

Cover Image of the book: "Reading Beauty". At the top in black text reads: For those who strive to do good deeds no matter what and want to Read Happily Ever After... At the bottom in small black text reads: Privacy x GarWu. The background is swirls of colors in purples, pinks, and oranges. There is a green and yellow aura around the book cover image. There is a medium orange star shape in the bottom left corner with a green center and a small orange dot with blue dots all around it just to the right of that.

A #bookrec for those who want to do good deeds and Read Happily Ever After! Reading Beauty hilariously written by @underwoodwriter.bsky.social & fabulously illus'd by @meghunt.bsky.social is not only a delightful read, but an empowering one. A spellbindingly wonderful Sleeping Beauty retelling. 📚👍

Cover image of The Story Orchestra - Swan Lake. Black text at the top reads: Privacy x GarWu. Black text at the bottom reads: For Those Who Want to Re-Live the Magic of Swan Lake Through Story & Music. The background image is of a pair of toe shoes on the floor of what looks like a wooden dance studio floor.

It's no secret we love #Ballet! With this #kidlit #Bookrec we are able to enjoy the magic of Swan Lake by story 📚💙, art🎨, & MUSIC 🎶! The Story Orchestra - Swan Lake, fabulously retold by Katy Flint & gorgeously Illus'd by Jessica Courtney Tickle, is the perfect book for book & ballet lovers. 📚👍

Cover image of the book "Not Quite Snow White". There are red curtains surrounding the book with golden yellow stays pulling the curtains back on both sides bracketing the cover image. At the top in red text reads: For Those Who Struggle to Know They Have Just Enough of the Right Stuff to Shine Like the Star They Are. At the bottom right in small black text reads: Privacy x GarWu.

A #kidlit #bookrec for those who are just enough of the right stuff to shine ✨ like the star 🌟 they are!!! Not Quite Snow White, beautifully written by @ashleyfranklin.bsky.social & adorably illus'd by Ebony Glenn, is an inspirational read perfect for the family (3-8). We loved the story. 📚👍 📚💙