Best way to share photos online privately
Summer is filled with memories for both young and old. These should not only be perpetuated on the mobile, many also choose to share freshly with the summer holidays on social media.
It can be fun, but there are also some things to consider before sharing pictures of children and young people on the internet.
It is both about what is actually allowed - and about a good portion of common sense!
We have talked to social media expert Astrid Valen-Utvik in the communication agency Valen-Utvik about what she thinks you should keep in mind before posting the summer memories:
1. Think about who you want to share with
We as parents should think well that the picture we share with only a few hundred followers on, for example, Instagram, can quickly be shared and thus disappear outside our control.
Valen-Utvik recommends that you reflect on where the pictures are shared and which pictures you want to share.
- If you want even more control over your content, you can have a closed profile on Instagram or Facebook. On Facebook, you can also set your account settings so that photos are shared only with friends, or selected friends. Some make a messenger group or a separate Facebook group when they have children. It makes it possible to share photos and videos of the newborns with only the closest family and friends.
- The ability to have relatively good control is present, but we as parents must know about this - and be conscious enough to use the opportunities we have available.
2. Ask for permission
Although the children are not of age, they are entitled to their own privacy. If the children are old enough, you should ask permission to share pictures of them in their own channels.
- I have three children myself, at 11, 13 and 15, and yes, I share pictures of them in social media. Now that they are so big, I always ask before I share pictures of them and respect their decision.
Valen-Utvik started a blog when the elders were born and shared pictures of everyday life along the way. This was around 2004, and her reach was not that great. As the consequences increased, she reduced the profiling of the children.
- I hardly mention them by name, and show more pictures of situations and moods. There are not necessarily pictures where they look straight into the camera. I continue to share some small glimpses here and there, but I don't want the amount of I parts of the kids to become their digital profile and digital footprint, she says.
- I want the children themselves to be able to decide and influence it.
3. Everything doesn't have to be shared
"It can't be that dangerous, then?" Still, images are used in completely different ways than intended.
- That's why I wouldn't share pictures of my kids in very light clothing, no matter how small and cute they have been. An image of children crying or angry, children who are naked, children who are vulnerable in some way - at least I will not share myself.
But it is not only in the darkest hooks of the internet that images can be abused, but also in commercial settings.
- We have seen examples of images uploaded by unsuspecting parents being used in advertising on Facebook. It may be for services or products the parents have never even heard of. We also have examples of images stolen from social media, and then used as advertising posters outdoors in foreign countries, says Valen-Utvik.
- Photos can certainly be misused in many other ways too, but the most important thing is this: Even if you have uploaded images to social media, it is still your intellectual work and only you decide how to use them. If you find that someone has used your image without approval, I recommend that you grab it.
Checklist before sharing photos:
The Data Inspectorate has prepared a checklist of things to consider before sharing photos of children online:
- Legality : Never share pictures of other people's children without the consent of their superiors.
- Image Type : Think about the content and use filter or inferior resolution whenever possible, making the pictures less interesting to others.
- Quantity : Share the fewest possible pictures.
- Channel usage : Be aware of how to share the pictures. Everything must not be open. Use privacy settings and create closed groups.
- Delete regularly : Take a spring cleaning and periodically previous photos you have published.
- Always ask the children : Use questions like "Do you think it's okay to share this picture with my family or friends?" Then you make it understandable to them. Respect the answer.
