Have you ever thought about how much of your child’s life you’re sharing with the world—and who else might be watching? Not everyone who sees them will have good intentions.
Let’s rethink how we share these memories online and ensure our kids’ safety.
Storytime
Let’s read a story with me and see why you should think twice before sharing a photo of your kid online.
“I had an incident online a few years ago where someone stole pictures of my newborn and made them a Facebook profile. I was furious and it took months to get this person to stop. Ever since then I don’t feel posting pictures of my kids online is safe or appropriate for several reasons.
Most people think I’m being overprotective, once they’re online you have no control over what happens to them. My profile was 100% private and you were unable to share photos via settings. They were still screen-grabbed..saved and used. Privacy settings mean nothing.”
If you’re still on the fence, here’s a wake-up call video every parent should watch before hitting “post”. It’s worth reconsidering the risks we take when sharing pictures of our children online.
Protecting Privacy and Safety
First off, one of the simplest things parents can do is avoid posting pictures of their kids in identifiable locations or outfits. Like sports events, school premises, or anything with a school uniform.
Why? Because these details can make it way too easy for someone with bad intentions to figure out where your child spends their time.
When you share photos, skip comments that give away specific locations or point out features near your home. For example, avoid captions like “Our house with the blue door!” or “At the park down the street!”
And as tempting as it might be to share your kids’ schedules—like soccer games or dance classes, keeping those details offline is another easy way to stay safer. Little precautions like these can go a long way in protecting your family’s privacy.
Understand the Risks
While the risk of stalking or abduction is statistically low, it’s not zero. And with the rise of AI, those photos could be repurposed in ways you’d never imagine. Dr. Orlando points out that your child’s image could be pulled into an advertising campaign you didn’t approve of—and worse, it might be for something you’d never want your child associated with.
But perhaps the most chilling possibility, as noted by Ms. Inman Grant, is that these photos could end up on predatory websites or forums. An innocent birthday party snapshot could be manipulated into something horrifying. It’s a tragic reality we’re facing as a global community, and it’s why it’s so important to think carefully about what you post and who might see it.
It’s Not Just About Safety
Beyond the immediate risks, there’s a bigger conversation here about consent. Your child has a right to decide how they want to present themselves to the world. I think this is an aspect that many parents don’t think about.
By posting details about your child’s life on social media, you’re violating their right to privacy before they even know what their rights are. Maybe they won’t want to be on a particular social network or social media at all when they grow up. My view is that I, myself, can’t make that decision for them and therefore my children don’t exist on social media.
Sharing Smartly
I get it: you want to share your kid’s adorable milestones with family and friends. But there are safer ways to do it.
Use secure file-sharing platforms like OneDrive, Google Drive, or iCloud to share photos with a close circle of people you trust. It keeps those moments private and out of the hands of strangers.