Here’s how to share more safely.
So, given the risks, should we still share photos and videos online, or should we avoid it altogether? According to Marie-Pier Jolicoeur, lecturer and doctoral student in law at Université Laval and contributor to the Centre pour l’intelligence émotionnelle en ligne (CIEL), there’s no need to panic. “There are two opposing factors at play here,” she says, “our freedom as parents to post about our kids and our children’s right to privacy. We need to learn to strike a balance between the two. That doesn’t mean we have to stop posting about our kids altogether, but we do have to be more careful about what we share.”
Here’s how to share more safely:
Avoid posting pictures of your child in vulnerable situations.
“Before sharing anything involving your child, it’s important to put yourself in their shoes,” says Jolicoeur. It’s best to avoid posting photos of your child in an embarrassing situation (e.g., in the middle of a meltdown). In addition, you should never post nude or partially nude pictures of your child (e.g., in the bathtub or on the potty). Ask yourself: “Could this be embarrassing or cause them problems when they’re older?”
You can also talk to your child and ask their permission before posting. According to Jolicoeur, this will help them develop a healthy relationship with the internet and social media, and they’ll be better equipped to protect their own pictures and personal information when they’re older. There’s no specific age when you should start asking your child for consent to post about them. It depends on their level of maturity and personality.
Limit how often you post and avoid sharing certain information.
“Ask yourself: ‘Is it really a good idea to plaster the internet with photos of my children? Who’s benefiting from this, and what am I trying to accomplish?’” says René Morin. You should also avoid posting personal information, such as your child’s name, birth date, address, pet’s name, favourite TV shows, health details, etc. And remember that pictures also count as personal information.
Tighten your privacy settings and use private platforms.
Experts strongly recommend that parents tighten their social media privacy settings by setting their profiles to “private.” Even better, consider sharing photos of your child via private platforms, such as email, text, Messenger, WhatsApp, or private Facebook groups. “It’s still not without risk, but it’s certainly a safer option,” says Jolicoeur.
Secure your accounts
Posting photos, videos, and information about your child on social media can be dangerous. To minimize your risk, a good first step is to set your social media profiles to “private.” Our simple and practical guide (in French only) shows you how, step by step:
Guide to securing your social media accounts Educate your family and friends.
Some parents are taking a more cautious approach to reduce their child’s digital footprint. However, their family and friends are not always on board. This is why it’s so important to communicate your expectations and needs to your loved ones. Marie-Catherine, mother to 4-year-old twins, did exactly that.
“After a kids’ party at a neighbour’s house, I saw a photo of my sons on Facebook,” she says. “I wasn’t too thrilled. I took the time to tell my friends they had to ask my permission before posting anything about my children. They didn’t mean to do anything wrong, they just didn’t think it through.”
According to Jolicoeur, attitudes are changing and people are increasingly aware of the dangers of posting photos and videos of minors. “We can tell the people close to us we want to take steps to avoid any harmful consequences,” she says. “The important thing is to talk to them to raise awareness and open up a dialogue.”
Do you know about the right to control photos and videos of yourself?
Did you know that unless you are in a public place or at a public event, no one can share a photo or video of you without your consent?
This is because of the right to control photos and videos of yourself. Children also have these rights: parental authorization is required to post and share images of them. Under the Civil Code of Québec, both parents’ authorization must be obtained, regardless of whether they are separated, before images of their child are posted. However, one parent can make this decision on their own if they assume, in good faith, that the other parent agrees.