Children's pictures on social media: Majority don't know what's ok

Almost everyone who uses social media such as Facebook has seen pictures of babies or children that the people depicted have most likely not uploaded themselves. Such images are also widely shared in parents' WhatsApp groups. Whether this is ok or not is the subject of controversial debate.

According to a survey by the digital association Bitkom, only 26% of around 1,000 respondents knew under what conditions pictures may be sent. There was even more uncertainty as to whether images could be shared in messengers, with 7% saying they knew. 48% of respondents are unsure about the rules for sharing children's photos via messenger services, while 31% are unsure about sharing pictures on social media.

32% say they have "never" thought about sharing children's photos on messenger services and 35% have "never" thought about sharing children's photos on social media. However, even when posting pictures of adults, a quarter do not know "whether and how they are allowed to share photos on social networks that show other people", according to Bitkom.

"If you click on 'share' without thinking, you may not only be harming the child depicted, but may also be committing an infringement that could result in injunctive relief and claims for damages - or even a criminal offense," says Bitkom CEO Bernhard Rohleder. Anyone who posts pictures of children should be aware of their effect and consider whether he or she would like to be shown in such a situation or to a certain audience.

Obtain permission

If you want to share pictures of children on the internet, you need permission from their parents and, depending on their age, also from the children themselves, usually from the age of 14. "However, this is only a guideline and requires a case-by-case decision. In other words, photos that show children other than your own may not be shared without the consent of the parent or guardian or the children themselves who are capable of giving consent - neither on social media nor in messenger services," explains Bitkom. This also applies to daycare centers and schools.

According to Bitkom, exceptions apply to closed groups, for example in the family circle. Grandma can therefore share a picture of her grandchild in a family group. However, she may not use a picture of her grandchild as a profile picture without the permission of the parent or guardian, provided that all contacts can see it. As soon as pictures start circulating on the internet, they also end up in the hands of paedophiles. Thanks to all accessible AI tools, images can also be easily manipulated and open the door to cyberbullying.

Today, Wednesday, the Conference of Interior Ministers is meeting to discuss cyberbullying, among other things. The interior ministers of the federal states are calling for a separate criminal offense for cyberbullying to be examined. This is according to a draft resolution for the Conference of Interior Ministers, which is meeting until Friday and has been made available to dpa. "Cyberbullying is a growing phenomenon that has been underestimated to date, although it has serious consequences for victims in many areas of life," said Brandenburg's Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU), who chairs the Conference of Interior Ministers and tabled the motion.

According to Spiegel, the Federal Ministry of Justice has stated that the current criminal law already allows for "punishment of cyberbullying commensurate with the offense and culpability". However, a possible need for change"with regard to the requirements of the EU directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence" is being examined.

(mack)