Mum ignites debate over putting kids’ photos online

Nowadays, many parents plaster photos of their babies all over social media, but is it okay for another parent to upload an image of your child or grandchild?

Posting on Mumsnet, a mother asked if she was being too paranoid when she cropped other babies out of a photo, so only her baby would be in the picture, before sharing the pic on Instagram. 

She wrote: “So my baby had a playdate with a couple of babies last week and I took some really cute photos of the afternoon. I sent them to the other mums who were the delighted at the photos!”

The mum went on to explain: “So yesterday I was casually hanging out with friend and was cropping the other babies out of a photo to post on Instagram (so only my baby would be in the picture, showing off her cute new outfit).”

But, the anonymous mother revealed that her friend thought she was being “paranoid” and over the top. “My friend couldn’t understand why I was doing this and thought I was being paranoid/OTT [over the top] to not include the other babies.

“In my mind it’s not my place to post photos of other peoples children on a social network platform. Was I being unreasonable?” She asked.

The post sparked an online debate, with many telling her it was “totally normal” these days and that they would be angry if someone shared pictures of their children without asking first. 

One user wrote: “No you are not being unreasonable. I would be really angry if someone put up a photo of my children on social media. I never have done it so don’t expect anyone else to.”

Another added: “I would be annoyed if somebody posted my kids photo on social media without my permission. Privacy. It’s rude to just post somebody else’s image.”

While the majority of fellow bloggers agreed with the mother, some admitted they post pictures online without permission. 

One user wrote: “I do post pictures of mine and other kids on SM. It’s a nice way for family and friends to see them. I only do this if I know their parents post pictures of the kids too, but I don’t ask permission.”

The Office of the eSafety Commissioner says uploading images onto social media can be a fantastic way to share memorable moments with friends and family, but there can be risks associated with posting photos of children online, such as accidentally sharing your location with strangers and allowing your child’s image to fall into the wrong hands. 

What do you think? Is it okay for another parent to upload an image of your child? Do you agree with the mother?

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