Parental Tips

Now that back-to-school season is in full gear, many parents are excited to capture and share their children’s milestones—first day of school photos, team pictures and yearbook snapshots are just a few examples. However, while it’s natural to want to celebrate these moments, it’s essential to be mindful of the risks associated with sharing children’s images and personal information online. 

Why Protecting Your Child’s Photos and Information Matters

In today’s digital age, the internet offers incredible opportunities for connection and sharing, but it also presents significant risks, especially for children. Predators are on the lookout for images of children that they can misuse or use to identify potential victims. Some of the risks associated with sharing your child’s images and personal information online could include:

• Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM): With the advancements in AI and generative CSAM: images of children can be manipulated or stolen to create and circulate. Once an image is posted, it can be difficult to control where it ends up.
• Grooming and Exploitation: Predators may use images and personal information to locate and groom children. This process can begin with seemingly innocent interactions online but can escalate into dangerous situations.
• Loss of Privacy: When you share photos online, you’re potentially sharing them with the world. This can lead to unwanted attention and invasion of your child’s privacy. 

Your Rights Under FERPA: Opting Out of School and Sports Photos

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives parents the right to control aspects of their child’s education records, including photos. Some parents may not realize that they have the option to opt-out of having their child’s photos included.

Here’s how you can take action:

1. Review Your School’s Policies: Schools typically provide information about their photo policies. Review these documents carefully to understand what is being shared and with whom.
2. Exercise Your Right to Opt-Out: If you’re uncomfortable with your child’s photo being shared, you can submit a request to opt-out. Contact your school’s administration.
3. Ask the Right Questions: When considering opting out, ask the school how and where photos will be used.

For example:

• Will photos be posted online or shared on social media? And who has access to the photos. 
• How will the school ensure that photos are not shared without permission

 

Safety Tips for Group Photos and School Settings

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or someone else who might be taking photos in a school or group setting, there are simple steps you can take to protect children’s privacy:

• Avoid Identifiable Information: When taking photos, ensure that children’s names, locations, and other identifiable information are not visible.
• Be Mindful of Backgrounds: Pay attention to the surroundings in your photos. Such as school names, locations, or even home addresses.
• Consider the Angle: If you’re taking group photos, try to focus on group dynamics rather than individual faces.
• Limit Sharing: If you’re a teacher or school administrator, consider limiting the number of photos shared publicly and ensure you have parental consent for any images that are posted.

 

Talking to Others About Your Decision

If you’ve decided to keep your child’s photos off the internet, that’s ok, and it’s important to communicate your decision clearly and respectfully with others. It can sometimes feel like a difficult or uncomfortable topic to confront.

Here are some conversation starters you can use:

1. Asking Someone to Remove/Delete a Post:

• “Hey [Name], I noticed that [Child’s Name] is in the photo you posted. We’ve decided to keep their images off social media for privacy reasons. Would you mind taking it down? Thanks so much for understanding.”
• “Hi [Name], I appreciate you sharing photos from the event! However, we’re trying to be cautious about sharing our child’s pictures online. Could you please remove the one with [Child’s Name]? I really appreciate your help with this.”

 

2. Explaining Your Choice

• “We’ve decided not to share [Child’s Name]’s photos online because we are being proactive with their online privacy. It’s something we’ve thought a lot about, and we hope you understand.”
• “For us, it’s important to limit [Child’s Name]’s online presence, especially when it comes to photos. We want to make sure they are safe online and have control over their digital footprint when they’re older.”

 

Permission to Post

We believe that you have the right to decide if your kids’ pictures should live on the internet, and we need to normalize asking for consent before posting pictures of other people’s children. 

Let’s work together to make sure that our children’s back-to-school memories remain safe and secure.

Learn more about why we’re encouraging everyone to ask Permission to Post.