We all love sharing images of our kids online, so it is easy to forget what additional information we are unintentionally sharing as well. Here are some tips on how to share safely!
- Avoid sharing photos and videos that contain personal details, such as full names, personal contact information, or uniforms that identify particular schools or locations.
- Avoid adding comments to photos that identify locations, for example street addresses, the name of your child’s school, or even identifying features in front of your home.
- Ensure schedules of children’s activities are not shared online.
- Only share with people you really know and trust. Rather than posting to all your friends on social media, use the privacy settings. Also, be aware that if one of your friends likes your picture, it may also become visible to their friends.
- If other children are also in the picture, make sure you have checked their parents are Ok with sharing the photon social media.
- Remember, what you share becomes part of your child’s digital footprint.
Geo location and metadata
Most digital photos contain information about the time, date and GPS coordinates of where the photo was taken. Some social media platforms automatically hide or remove this data, so double-check and find out how much information you are sharing.
Check the location settings on your device to know which apps are using geo-location and turn them off or limit the function.
Who owns the image once it’s posted?
Make sure you understand the terms and conditions or Statement of Rights and Responsibilities of the site you are using. Some social media sites give themselves the rights to copy and use your photos and videos.
School or club events?
Before taking photos/video at these events it is important to check if there are guidelines you need to follow. If it is a school or club event, they should be able to provide you with details of their social media policy or photography/recording policy.
Can you share the photos another way?
Other ways of sharing photos and videos can provide you with more control. This could include:
- sharing photos by email
- multimedia messaging service (MMS- sending photos and videos over a cellular network)
- using a secure online service (secure online facility enabling organisations to authorise access through secure passwords)
For more information about online safety, go to https://www.esafety.gov.au/
If you have questions about our services, please contact us for a chat.
This blog draws on an article written for eSafety by Associate Professor Amanda Third, University of Western Sydney.