How your uploaded pictures can reveal multiple cues to criminals
Latest research shows that:
79% of parents share their child’s photos and information on social media
92% of parents post the child’s name and family name,
69% reveal the real face of the child.
53% of parents had shared a nude or semi-nude image of their child online.
Most parents continue to share information and pictures of their children without any precautions, often due to a false sense of security about the privacy settings claimed by social media. What may not be realised is that each photo uploaded reveals multiple details we may not be aware of.
Information your uploaded pics can reveal
The image to the right identifies some of the detail a typical first day of school pic might reveal. This image provides 7 identifying points about that child. There is identifying information on the child as well as in the background.
Considering the average child has around 1000 photos of them uploaded by the time they are 5 years old, there is a clear risk of how much information we are sending out about a child without realising.
Should I blur faces?
Parents might blur out information such as the child’s face, or set their social media account to private. These are a great step in the right direction, however do not 100% safety for your child. That’s because so much information is uploaded about your child, that can easily be cross-referenced by anyone who wants information about your child.
For example, you post few family photos- on holidays, first day of high school to Instagram where your child’s name, their age can be identified. Then grandma uploaded a photo to facebook of your child in the front yard clearly showing the house, their school uniform and identifying food packaging from the local take-away, and then you upload to Linkedin a pic of your work family christmas picnic day showing your child, where you work, your name, the area you work in.
The amount of information uploaded about a child, how far and wide it spreads, and the sheer number of posts make it a risk for your child that blurring or setting your account to private can not counteract.
Is there a safe way parents can share pictures of their kids online?
1. Use group chat rather than posting to social media. If your aim is to share special moments with friends and family then consider whether the pic and post needs to be uploaded to social media at all. A group chat will allow you to share in a safer, less public way.
2. Hide identifiers in pics. These maybe on the child (eg they may be holding an award the received that shows the name of the school or the soccer club they play at), or in the background of the pic, (eg they are standing in front of a street sign near their home0.
3. Even fun comments can reveal information. This might be in the posts that states how old the child is or where they had their party.
4. Your child's privacy is important. Children can never remove any information you upload of them. Respecting their privacy is important from day 1.