The act of sharing photos and information of minors on the Internet on a regular basis is called Sharentinga term that is formed from the English words Compartir (share) and parenting (paternity). You must be aware that doing this translates into revealing sensitive data that can be used against minors, such as tastes or interests, birthdays, routines, circles of friends or social networks, to name a few.
This lack of caution can expose minors to serious threats such as cyberbullying, identity theft, sexting, or identity theft. Additionally, sharing photos of your children online contributes to creating a digital footprint that could affect your reputation in the future. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that parents think carefully before sharing images of their children on social media.
On the other hand, in a context where different special dates are coming up such as Independence Day, Halloween, Day of the Dead or New Year’s Eve parties among others, photos of costumes or school events are expected to appear on different platforms. Basic privacy issues may possibly be overlooked, so data such as daily routines, schedule distribution, schools or areas where the family lives, economic level, to name a few, may be revealed only from the last quarter of the year.
We must keep in mind that children have the right to their privacy, regardless of the fact that adults have not grown up with the Internet, although we have learned to use it. Parents, family members or friends do not own the image of minors, so we should not violate their right to privacy.
In this sense, I share some recommendations to protect and respect the right to privacy of minors:
1. Ask your children if they agree to having their photos published. Respecting their opinion is crucial, especially when they are mature enough to understand the risks involved.
2. Avoid sharing photos that could compromise your image or reveal sensitive information. This includes photos in which they appear naked, in underwear or in compromising situations. Additionally, it is essential to refrain from sharing personal information such as names, ages, schools, addresses or locations.
3. Set social media privacy so that only people you trust can see your photos. This is achieved by selecting the “friends only” or “followers only” option.
4. If the previous point cannot be carried out, whatever the reason, be aware of the responsibility it implies and take the necessary measures to not violate the right to privacy.
5. Do not label children or other minors without the consent of their parents or guardians. This could make your personal data accessible to unknown parties.