With a rise in ‘mumfluencers’ and parenting content creators, social media is now filled with family vlogs, pictures and videos showing the faces of many children.
It’s become an all too common sight and normalised. But, Facebook’s own founder Mark Zuckerberg famously doesn’t show his kids on social media and according to an online privacy expert, neither should we.
Though you might be excited to share your kids’ updates, this so-called ‘sharenting’ doesn’t come without its risks.
Trevor Cooke, online privacy expert at EarthWeb, explains four reasons why yous shouldn’t post pictures of your kids online.
You Lose Control
Once you post a picture on social media it means you’ve granted that platform a licence to that picture. They can now use it how they like on their social media site.
Trevor says: “They use this licence to host your photo and make sure it displays correctly - but that same licence also allows them to use the picture how they like, including sharing it and selling it to others (e.g. advertisers).
“Even with strict privacy settings, these images could be stolen, copied, altered, or spread forever across the Internet, meaning you completely lose control of who sees your child and what they do with their image.”
Identities Can Be Kidnapped
Though it might seem innocent, a simple thing such as posting a picture of your new baby, even writing comments or sharing your location can become dangerous.
Cybercriminals can find out the name of your child, their date of birth and their place of birth from the images and captions you post. So always be careful of the surroundings in your pictures.
This can eventually lead to identity theft which is also known as “digital kidnapping.”
“Criminals can use your child’s image and shared details to create fake profiles and fabricate an online identity. They can then set up unauthorised accounts, apply for credit, and conduct other activities under their name.
“Scammers have even taken out loans in the name of children under the age of five – ruining their credit before they’re even old enough to use money!” Explained Trevor.
Children Can Be Sexually Exploited
Again, though it might seem harmless as a parent posting a picture of your child in swimwear, you need to be aware of sexual predators.
These are people who scour the internet for images of minors and they can even manipulate, share, or sell the images you post on dark websites dedicated to child exploitation.
Trevor explains that parents need to stay vigilant about the rise of AI image and video manipulations. Using technology, criminals are able to animate images which is not something any of us want to think about.
“This exposure violates your child’s privacy and risks their safety and mental health, as these images can circulate indefinitely in harmful contexts. They could haunt your child into adulthood, negatively affecting their personal and professional life,” he added.
It Breeds Fear
One of a parent’s worst nightmare is a criminal finding out where their child lives and goes to school because it could put their safety at risk.
Trevor says: “If you don’t post the pictures, there’s no need to worry. Keeping your pictures private will provide you with an invaluable gift: peace of mind.”