Posting photos of children on social media may seem harmless — a cute snapshot from a walk or a celebration with friends. But experts warn: even casual photos can end up in unwanted hands. Modern technologies, including neural networks, allow images to be used in ways we never intended, and control over the distribution of content online is still limited.
It is especially dangerous that there are closed and little-known platforms on the internet, including the dark web, where other people's photos can "leak". This applies even to the youngest children and infants. Photos posted in the public domain can potentially be used by people with malicious intent — from generating content in neural networks to other forms of abuse.
To protect your child, experts advise sharing photos only in closed chats or messengers with trusted individuals. Minimize personal data and geotags on the images — this reduces the chance that someone could use the photos for harm.
And most importantly: sometimes it is easier not to post photos in the public domain at all, but to keep them at home or in a secure cloud storage. A child's privacy is more important than likes and comments, and a little attention to safety today helps avoid problems tomorrow.
