Photo warning issued to millions of UK parents
A disturbing video has gone viral, being viewed almost a million times and worrying many parents. Some commenters even described it as a prime example of “sharing.”
The clip is part of the “Pause Before Sharing” Awareness Campaign, which highlights the potential dangers of sharing seemingly harmless posts about children on social media.
The Irish Data Protection Commission warned parents in a post about X: “Every time you share their lives online, you run the risk of sharing their personal data with the world. Pause before sharing.” Even though it was an Irish account that shared this, the message remains universal.
In the video, two parents walk through a shopping mall with their daughters. While they are browsing, unfamiliar adults approach the child. One wishes him a happy birthday, the other jokes about his dad being late to pick him up from football practice and even notes the exact time he was playing.
Confused parents ask their daughter if she knows these people. As he continues walking, more strangers stop to talk to him, each sharing personal details, and the boy becomes visibly distressed and grips his mother’s hand tighter.
On the website, Data Protection Commission website, He defines “sharing” as a mix of “parenting” and “sharing,” referring to parents regularly posting information, photos and videos of their children on social media and other online platforms.
The campaign was “designed to show how these risks might play out in real life,” officials said, as we learn from the family’s interactions with three “strangers.” From social media posts, Éabha’s parents accidentally “shared with the world” her name, age, date of birth, photos of her friends, the name and location of her football club, her training schedule and the fact that her father was not always on time to pick her up.
“When we see our third stranger download one of Éabha’s photos and save it on his phone, we also show how easy it is for images to fall into the wrong hands.”
“Sharing may carry some risks,” he adds. These include digital footprints. Parents create an online presence for their children from an early age, often without their consent. Parents lose control over how images are used once published.
Photos and videos of children can be reused for harmful content such as deepfakes and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Experts also shared, “Those adorable photos of babies in silly outfits or videos of toddler tantrums might not be so endearing to a thirteen-year-old.
“Embarrassing photos or videos, especially if shared widely and without the child’s permission, can have a negative impact on the school environment (e.g. risk of bullying) or on the child’s personal and professional future. Remember, something that may not be a big deal to share today could be very problematic tomorrow.” The dangers don’t end there. Personal information parents share (name, birthday, school, hobbies) can help hackers.
To see more about the campaign, visit: The Data Protection Commission website is here.
