What are the implications of posting images of your child on the internet?
How about those pictures of your nieces or nephews captured during their birthday celebrations?
Perhaps you have uploaded a photo of your friend’s child enjoying at the beach?
We inhabit a world where the digitisation of our personal lives, and by extension our children’s lives, is completely commonplace.
However, what happens to those images once they are out there? And despite referring to our social media accounts’ privacy settings, can we truly keep these images safe and secure?
In 2023, an advertisement from a German telecom company gained widespread attention when it generated a deepfake from a single picture of a 9-year-old girl. This is a stark example of how an individual’s image can be misused, and experts are flagging serious ramifications in the long-term from sharing photos of children.
Leah Plunkett, the writer of ‘Sharenthood’ and a faculty member at Harvard law school, is a guest on the In The News podcast, where she explores the repercussions of circulating children’s images on the internet and the moral implications of infringing upon the privacy rights of youngsters.
Today’s topic on In The News discusses the dangers associated with transmitting images of our children’s lives on social media.
The show is hosted by Sorcha Pollak and produced by Aideen Finnegan.