How to place children's pictures on Facebook, Instagram and Co.

Should children's pictures be published on social media? Of course, parents decide for themselves whether and how many children's photos they want to publish on their profiles.

What can parents do to protect their children? klicksafe offers with “ Too naked for the Internet? - 10 steps for more security when dealing with children's photos online "an information card with which parents can easily check whether they have taken all important aspects into account. Among other things, the information card encourages children to be actively involved in the decision-making process and to put themselves in the perspective of the children depicted. However, parents not only have to take into account the right to their own image or the personal rights of their children. There are also more abstract dangers that parents should consider in advance.

10 steps for more security when dealing with children's photos online!

Can I share the image online?

  1. Did I or my family take the photo myself, or did I clear the rights to the image? No? Then don't share the picture!
  2. Can anyone else be identified and do I have their permission to share the image? No? Then don't share the picture!
  3. Are there no things in the background of the photo that might make other people uncomfortable? No? Then don't share the picture!
  4. Is my child clothed in the picture and not in an embarrassing situation? No? Then don't share the picture!
  5. Will my child be okay with sharing the photo once they are old enough to have an opinion? No? Then don't share the picture!
  6. Do all parents or guardians agree to share the image? No? Then don't share the picture!
  7. Would it be acceptable for me personally if such a picture of me as a child were available on the Internet today? No? Then don't share the picture!
  8. Have I checked my security settings and am I sure I know who can see the image? No? Then don't share the picture!
  9. Am I aware that when I upload the image, I lose some of the rights to the image to the platform? No? Then don't share the picture!
  10. Would it be acceptable if someone else made a mistake (e.g. forwarding it without asking) and the image was accessible to everyone? No? Then don't share the picture!
If all 10 points were answered with a “YES”, then you could share the picture!

However, we ourselves appeal at this point to pay attention to the privacy of the people depicted.

Photos of children have absolutely no place on Facebook ” or “ There are so many crazy people out there who delight in pictures of children ” and “ It’s your own fault if your child disappears, but don’t cry .”

Such statements always give rise to very long debates on the Internet about how dangerous it is to publish children's photos. It is clear that such content evokes an emotion in many users, which is understandable.

We should and must differentiate!

We are certainly all aware that there is not someone lurking behind every posting with a picture of a child who is misusing the picture. However, any potential dangers should also be taken into account. There are always a few questions that come up:

Do we really need to put a black bar on the eyes, cover the children's faces with oversized yellow emojis, and then publish these photos at the end? Isn't it possible that when the children are older they won't even be surprised at what their parents actually did with their picture?

Maybe later on the children won't care whether they appear in their parents' and grandparents' posts, as they grow up with a completely different understanding of the Internet. They experience a public that their parents never knew as children.

At this point, the following also applies: In the end, each individual argument can be reversed 1:1.

And now?

With many topics that have to do with education, this seemingly endless debate on the Internet is always characterized by a very tough discussion among users. It is clear that parents who have published photos of their child on Facebook and CO have made a conscious decision to do so. Something like this doesn't happen by pure chance!

Children's photos and the topic: Right to one's own image and personal rights

Yes, children also have personal rights. This includes, above all, the right to privacy as well as anonymity and the right to one's own image. As the name (personal rights) suggests, only the person concerned can dispose of it. In other words, parents cannot simply decide which pictures of their child they want to publish. But a child must be able to understand this. This is also referred to as the so-called “capability of insight”. This in turn means that small children cannot consent to publication, but usually only children aged 14 and over. Before the age of 14, the image rights and, above all, the associated responsibility lie with the parents.

Our tips on the topic: Children's photos on the Internet

  1. Always remember: You are a role model, so teach your children how to handle personal data on the Internet responsibly, because how do you want to teach your child the increasingly important careful handling of personal data on the Internet if your child's life is already completely online ?
  2. If you publish a picture of your child, avoid providing the full name, place of residence, school, etc. In other words, the data that is related to the photo shown.
  3. Please avoid pictures of the child where you can see him or her in an inappropriate or embarrassing situation.
  4. Once the children have reached a certain age, include your children in this discussion and talk about how to deal with children's pictures on the internet! And especially:
  5. Checks the privacy settings on Facebook and CO. If you post a picture, you should only do so for “friends”, but never “publicly”.

And now?

Users argue: Some are strictly against publishing children's pictures on social media. The others don't care and would like to show off their children with pride. what is right, what is wrong? We can only answer this question to a limited extent. We are of the opinion that parents who want to show their child should, at least in principle, protect their children's privacy as much as possible. If you want to put a black bar over your eyes, then you should do it. If you want to pixelate the face or put an emoji over it, that's OK.

However, what you should do is…

You should protect the child's personal rights and heed the tips given! However, you shouldn't "walk" through the internet in panic and hysterics and blame other parents who publish your children's photos, because that's not really helpful! This is also part of being a role model, because you have to strengthen children, no matter what the topic. With hysteria you probably achieve the opposite. Which, by the way, generally applies to raising children.

In the end, every warning is just an urgent request to behave responsibly. Of course, parents decide for themselves whether and how many children's photos they publish on their accounts. In the end, we can only appeal to pay attention to the privacy of the people depicted.

More on this topic at klicksafe: “ Pictures of children on the internet: This is what parents should pay attention to.

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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )