Back-to-school photos: Why you should think twice before sharing your child's details online

As schools reopen their doors, parents are eager to share their children's excitement on social media. However, before you hit that share button, it's important to consider the potential risks associated with sharing personal information in your back-to-school photos.

2024-08-26

One popular trend is to create chalkboard signs with detailed information about your child, such as their name, age, height and even the school they attend. While these photos can be a cute way to commemorate the start of a new school year, they can also pose a security risk.

"Especially during back-to-school season, scammers know that it’s an opportunity to look at this trend and see a bunch of information [and] it can just lead to security problems for you and your family," Nicole Cordero from the Better Business Bureau said. "During back-to-school season, they know that parents are sharing a lot of information online, and they can use that to their advantage."

To protect your child’s privacy, limit the details in your photos. Avoid including their last name, teacher's name, school name, age, birth date or any personal fun facts. This type of information can be used to guess passwords or hack into accounts.

Cordero also said, "You don’t want the background of the photo to reveal their school name or too much about your home."

Before posting, consider what you'd be comfortable sharing with a stranger. Would you really want them to know your child's age or the school they attend?

"It can actually become a safety issue," Cordero said.

Check your privacy settings and know that, even if your page is private, photos can be easily saved and copied.

Remember, even if your social media profile is set to private, your photos can still be saved and shared by others. It's important to talk to your child about online safety and the importance of protecting their personal information.

"You need to make sure the information that you're giving is not giving scammers access to things like committing identity theft or even your password," Cordero said.