01 Feb Back-to-School Photos: Why Parents Are Being Urged to Think Twice Before Sharing Online
As families get ready for a new school year, many parents are snapping first-day photos and sharing them online. But child safety experts are urging families to pause before posting — warning that even innocent images can reveal far more than intended.
Leading child protection organisation Act for Kids says back-to-school posts are a peak time for oversharing, often exposing children to online risks without families realising.
Details like a school uniform logo, a child’s name on a bag, or clues in the background can be enough for online offenders to start building a profile of a child and their family.
How everyday photos can put children at risk online
Act for Kids Executive Director Tom McIntyre says once a photo is shared publicly, families lose control over where it ends up — or how it’s used.
“The moment an image is shared online, it may be copied, altered or misused in ways parents never see,” he says.
The risks have grown sharply with advances in generative artificial intelligence, which can be used to manipulate real images into illegal child abuse material.
Recent figures highlight the scale of the problem:
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UNICEF Australia reports the average child has more than 1,500 images shared online before the age of five
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In Australia, reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material to the eSafety Commissioner jumped more than 200 per cent in a single year
With new rules now restricting children under 16 from having social media accounts, experts say adults need to be especially mindful of what they share about children — even if kids aren’t online themselves.
Simple ways parents and carers can share more safely
Child safety experts encourage families to “snap the photo, save the memory — and skip the overshare.” If you do want to share, these small steps can help reduce risk:
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Share photos privately (for example, via a family group chat) rather than on public platforms
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Check backgrounds for identifying details like street signs, house numbers or school names
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Blur or cover school logos on uniforms before posting
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Review your followers regularly and limit sharing to people you genuinely know and trust
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Be cautious about new friend requests or followers you don’t recognise
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Question and report any comments or contact that feel inappropriate or focused on your child
If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts.
Need help or want to report a concern?
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Online child sexual exploitation can be reported to the eSafety Commissioner or the platform involved
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If a child is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000)
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As families settle back into school routines, experts say one simple habit can make a real difference: putting children’s safety ahead of social media likes — and modelling safer online behaviour at home.
See also: why we decided not to share our son on social media
