Children will soon return to school after the December holiday break and many of the parents are excited to see their littles ones back at school.
It is also time for the first day of school day photos which can be tempting for parents to post online. For first time parents, it can be tempting to take a picture of their children in their brand-new school uniform and upload it to social media to share with family and friends.
However, many experts warn parents not to upload pictures of their children online as it could leave them vulnerable to predators.
The experts say that sharing details about your child’s name, school, or address on social media could make them a target for child grooming, as visual clues – such as images of school uniform or taking a photo with your home in the background – can make it easier for predators to track down key personal information that can be used to identify or find kids.
Dr Jessica Taylor, British feminist author, campaigner and charity Victim Focus said that posting children in their uniforms could give away crucial information about their locations.
In a viral Tweet, she explained: “Thank you so much to all of the parents who have posted pics of their kids in their uniforms.
“Think! If you won’t let your kids upload pics of themselves on to the internet, THEN WHY ARE YOU DOING IT?”
ADT, experts in home security, have also warned parents should take some safety precautions if they do want to share photos as it could open up their home to burglars.
And if parents want to post their kids photos they should take use secure privacy settings on social media and only sharing them with people they know and trust.
Also see: Is posting your children on social media an invasion of their privacy?
