02/09/2026
Think before sharing back-to-school photos online ❌⚠️
Thousands of parents will proudly share pictures of their children heading back to school this week - but please take a few moments to check exactly what the photos are revealing about you and your family.
A seemingly innocent first-day picture can contain far more information than you realise. School uniforms and logos, street names, house numbers, car registration plates, children's names and even boards showing their age, school year or date can all reveal information about a child and where they live or go to school.
There are also wider risks. Publicly available photographs can be copied, downloaded and redistributed without your knowledge, used to create fake profiles or impersonate someone, and potentially manipulated using AI, including to produce abusive or sexualised imagery.
Before posting:
• Check the background and crop or blur identifying details, including school badges, road signs, house numbers and vehicle registration plates;
• Avoid giving your child's full name, exact age, school, class or regular routine;
• Review who can actually see and share your posts. Consider making accounts and stories private;
• Remember that deleting a photograph later doesn't guarantee that copies haven't already been saved or shared;
• As children get older, involve them in deciding which photographs of them are posted online.
❤️ You can still share those proud first-day moments. Just make sure you're sharing the memory, not a collection of personal information about your child.
