AUDIENCE
Check who can see it
On a private account only followers usually see posts, but they can still reshare them. Profile photos may always be public.
Check a photo- Know your audience
- Hide the school
- Ask your child
- Simple checks before you share
00WHAT THE GUIDANCE SAYS
Share the moment,
not the details.
A family photo can say more than you meant.
Posting pictures of children is a normal part of family life, and it is your choice. Child-safety and cyber-security guidance suggests a few checks so photos reach the people you intended and nothing else comes with them.
Check a photo01Principles
02THE SHORT ANSWER
Your choice,
with a few checks.
The NSPCC says sharing is up to you.
Its tips are about who sees a photo and what it reveals.
DETAILS
Hide the school
The NSPCC suggests making sure no school logo, sign or hashtag gives away where your child goes to school.
Four checks
CONSENT
Ask them, and other parents
Check your child is happy with the image, and ask other parents first before photographing or posting their children.
Why it mattersGeneral information only, not professional safety advice. If someone is in immediate danger, call the emergency services.
03A QUICK PHOTO CHECK
What could this
post give away?
Pick something that might be in or around a photo. The bar shows how much the guidance suggests it widens who can see or use the picture.
Based on NSPCC (2024), Northumbria University (2022), NCSC and Western Health and Social Care Trust guidance.
04TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Many parents share,
audiences add up.
One figure on how common sharing is,
one on how far a post can travel.
40%+
UK parents who post photos or videos of their children
Sharing is now so common that 'sharenting' entered the Oxford English Dictionary in June 2022.
HOW COMMON · NORTHUMBRIA 2022
114,000
People who might see a 'friends of friends' post
Quoted by a Northern Ireland health trust: the average 38-year-old user has 338 friends, and friends-of-friends settings multiply that reach.
AUDIENCE · INEQE ESTIMATE
Researchers say more work is needed to confirm exactly how sharing affects children, but they have found it relatively easy for third parties to gather children's names, photos and birth dates from public posts.
05FOUR CHECKS FROM THE NSPCC
Before you
press post.
The NSPCC's four suggestions for back-to-school photos work for birthdays, holidays and other milestones too.
Check your settings
Know whether your account is public or private, and remove followers you do not recognise.
Hide the school
Keep logos, signs and school names out of the picture, caption and hashtags.
Ask your child
Photos posted now can affect children's wellbeing well into the future, so check they are happy with it.
Ask other parents
Check with parents or carers before photographing or posting other children, and respect a no.
06THE BIGGER PICTURE
A digital footprint
starts early.
The National Cyber Security Centre describes a digital footprint as the information about you that is available online, and says criminals can use it to steal identities or make phishing messages more convincing.
Northumbria law researcher Claire Bessant notes that children's images are shared not only by parents but by family, friends and schools, and suggests talking with them about how you want your children portrayed online.
07Questions
Questions people ask
Is it safe to post photos of my children?
The NSPCC says it is your choice. If you do share, it suggests checking privacy settings, hiding school details, making sure your child is happy and asking other parents first.
Does a private account keep photos private?
Generally only followers can see posts on a private account, but they could still reshare an image. Some things, such as profile photos, may always be public.
Should I turn off location on photos?
A Northumbria University law researcher suggests turning off geotagging in your phone's camera app so location data does not attach to photos.
What is sharenting?
It is when a parent shares news, images and videos of their children on social media. The word entered the Oxford English Dictionary in June 2022.
Why avoid showing the school?
The NSPCC advises that nothing in a photo, video or post should identify your child's school, including logos, signs, captions and hashtags.
08Sources