Sharenting
Preventing risks and dangers of the Internet for young people
it is the average number of photos of a child published online before the age of 13, on his accounts, those of his parents or relativess
(OPINIUM study)
What is sharenting?
Share + Parenting = Sharenting.
Definition of sharenting: This refers to parents posting and sharing images (photos and videos) of their minor children on social media or the internet.
What are the risks?
- Misuse of photos for malicious purposes
We must be aware that once shared on social media, we lose control of our photos and videos. In 2020, the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children reveals that 50% Photos published on child pornography forums are images shared by parents..
- Building a digital identity for your child without their consent
At 13 years old, On average, a child has 1,300 posts about them on the internet., even though they are not allowed to be on social media. This figure rises to 70,000 pieces of content for the majority. These photos and videos constitute the child's digital identity, which is therefore deprived of the ability to define one's own image. Furthermore, this content remains – even years later – and may present a risk of cyberbullying in an educational or professional setting.
- Disclose confidential information
When they share content about their child, 80% of parents use their real name. But that's not all: simple photographs can also provide valuable information, such as the child's interests or the places they frequent.
- Pushing the child into hypernarcissism
From an early age, children become accustomed to being constantly praised and put in the spotlight. They then become more dependent on the views and opinions of others. As they grow up, children will experience changes in their bodies, their ideas and their desires, and may feel more vulnerable and dependent on their image.
In July 2023, the German company Deutsche Telekom launched a prevention campaign on the risks of sharenting. It tells the story of Ella, who talks to her parents and explains all the consequences that this practice can have.
What does the law say?
Firstly, it should be noted that a minor child has digital rights, which protect it. More generally, the image rights of any person on any medium, digital or otherwise, are protected in France by Article 9 of the Civil Code which guarantees the right to privacy.
On 10 October 2023, the National Assembly voted on a bill on sharenting, proposed by MP Bruno Studer, in order to “ensure respect for children's image rights”. The text emphasises the duty of parents to respect their children's privacy and specifies that The minor's image rights are exercised by both parents, taking into account the child's opinion. In the event of disagreement between the parents, the text provides for prohibiting either parent “from publishing or disseminating any content without the other's consent”. In the most extreme cases of serious violation of dignity, parents could lose their “digital parental authority”.
Best practices
- Seek the child's consent (if they are old enough)
- Avoid showing the child's face
- Avoid using the child's first name/surname
- Do not share content that could infringe on the child's privacy or dignity.
- Do not share images that could compromise the child's safety (identifiable information).
- Set up your social media accounts to private mode
- Prioritise shipments by private courier services
To go further
Need assistance?
Bullying, cyberbullying, revenge porn, webcam blackmail, identity theft, gender-based and sexual violence, exposure to violent and pornographic content, etc., and all issues related to usage (video games, parental controls, account settings, overexposure to screens).
