A Childhood That Begins Online
Imagine being sixteen and discovering that much of your childhood is already online. Your first steps, birthday celebrations, school performances, and even embarrassing moments have been shared with people you may never meet. You did not upload those photographs. You may not even remember when they were taken; yet, they have become part of your digital identity.
For many families, sharing these moments is an expression of love and pride. However, it raises the issue of children’s online privacy. It also asks an important question: As children grow older, shouldn’t they decide what the internet remembers about them?
When Sharing Memories Becomes Sharing Identity
Social media has changed how families preserve memories. What once belonged in private photo albums can now reach audiences far beyond the family circle. This practice, known as sharenting, refers to parents sharing photographs, stories, or personal information about their children online. Although parents often share with good intentions, doing so without involving children can overlook their privacy and consent (UNICEF n.d.-b).
Consider a photograph of a child’s first day at school that is posted online. It may seem harmless, but it could reveal their name, school, location, or daily routine. Not every photograph creates a risk. However, the concern is that once information is shared, controlling where it travels becomes difficult.
A childhood memory may be precious to a parent, but does that automatically make it public information?
Children’s Online Privacy: More Than a Personal Choice
Children’s online privacy is not simply a matter of parental preference; it is also recognized as a fundamental human right.
Article 16 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child protects children against arbitrary or unlawful interference with their privacy, family, home, or correspondence (UN General Assembly 1989, art. 16).
Furthermore, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child clarifies these protections in General Comment No. 25. It recognizes that privacy risks can arise when family members share children’s photographs or personal information online (UN Committee on the Rights of the Child 2021, para. 67).
European law offers another perspective. Article 17 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides a qualified right to request the erasure of personal data. This is often called the right to be forgotten. However, legal exceptions apply, and removal of every photograph cannot be guaranteed (European Parliament and Council of the European Union 2016, art. 17).
Overall, these protections remind us that children are individuals with rights, even when adults make decisions on their behalf.
What Happens When Children Want Their Privacy Back?
Imagine a teenager asking a parent to remove an old photograph online that now feels embarrassing.
The parent remembers a happy moment; however, the teenager sees something personal that should never have been public.
Deleting the original post may help, but screenshots, saved copies, and reposted images can make complete removal difficult. AI technology also creates opportunities for photographs to be manipulated without permission (UNICEF n.d.-b).
The deeper issue is not simply whether a photograph can be deleted. Instead, it is whether children have enough influence over how their identities are represented.
Small Choices That Protect a Child’s Future
Protecting children’s online privacy does not mean abandoning social media. It begins with thoughtful everyday decisions.
Parents and educators can:
- Ask before posting. Involve children in these decisions and allow them to express their preferences.
- Think beyond the moment. Consider whether a photograph might embarrass the child later.
- Protect identifying details. Avoid unnecessarily sharing school names, addresses, locations, etc.
- Respect changing boundaries. Listen when children become uncomfortable with older posts.
- Teach privacy through example. Show that asking permission before sharing someone’s photograph demonstrates respect.
Talk about it and stay informed. UNICEF encourages families to discuss digital footprints and online privacy from an early age (UNICEF n.d.-a).
For additional guidance, explore Zealousness’s article, How To Help Kids With Smartphones and Social Media.
Schools and digital platforms also share responsibility for protecting children’s information.
Let Children Own Their Stories
Childhood is a time for discovering who we are, making mistakes, changing our minds, and growing into different versions of ourselves.
Not every moment needs an audience.
Photographs preserve beautiful memories, but children also deserve room to grow beyond the identities adults create for them.
Perhaps the most meaningful question before sharing a childhood moment online is not whether it deserves to be remembered.
It is whether the child deserves the choice of how it will be remembered.
Their Memories, Their Privacy, Their Choice.
References
- European Parliament and Council of the European Union. 2016. “Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 (General Data Protection Regulation).” Official Journal of the European Union L 119: 1–88. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj.
- UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. 2021. General Comment No. 25 (2021) on Children’s Rights in Relation to the Digital Environment. CRC/C/GC/25. United Nations. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3906061.
- UN General Assembly. 1989. Convention on the Rights of the Child. November 20, 1989. United Nations Treaty Series 1577: 3. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child.
- UNICEF. n.d.a. “Online Privacy Checklist for Parents.” UNICEF Parenting. https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-care/online-privacy.
- UNICEF. n.d.b. “What You Need to Know about ‘Sharenting.’” UNICEF Parenting. https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-care/sharenting.
