Parents are being warned to not post pictures of their kids going back to school online to protect them from paedophiles.
Exploitation experts say Australian families are leaving themselves open to child grooming by sharing details about their children’s names, schools, or address on social media.
Using visual clues, like images of uniforms or the front of homes, predators can track down key personal information that can be used to identify or find kids.
The Australian Federal Police are urging parents to lockdown privacy settings on social media profiles to ensure personal images are only viewed by people they know and trust.
Parents are being urged to avoid posting photos of their children in school uniforms online – or other identifying information – to protect them from online predators
‘The first day of school is a treasured milestone for parents and carers and a happy memory for many families,’ AFP Commander for the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) Hilda Sirec said.
‘However, we do urge people who are sharing those images to make sure they’re using secure privacy settings on social media and only sharing them with people they know and trust.’
AFP child protection investigators regularly seize images of children in the collections of online child sex offenders.
Commander Sirec said parents would not give strangers a photo album of their kids, their names, or locations – and the same behaviour should be exercised online.
‘We all need to remember that in the digital age, that is the equivalent of posting information and images of children online without the appropriate safeguards,’ she said.
AFP Commander for the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) Hilda Sirec (pictured) said parents can continue to share happy snaps online, but should do so in a safe way
AFP child protection investigators regularly seize images of children in the collections of online child sex offenders (stock image)
‘The more information available about a child online, the easier it can be for offenders to build a profile to groom them, or even to groom parents in a bid to access information about their children.
‘We have seen some offenders go to great lengths to gain access to children and in some instances, online grooming has started with information that parents and carers have shared online.’
The AFP also advises parents to avoid posting images of students at the front of homes that can identify a street or street number.
Community or school social media pages featuring children are also being urged to consider the types of images being shared and who can view them.
Commander Sirec said it is vital for parents, carers and young people to be educated about online safety.
‘There are easy steps parents and carers can take to have more control over who can access their images and minimise the chance of inappropriate contact,’ she said.
‘If sharing content of children online, check the privacy settings and make sure that your social media accounts are using the most secure settings possible.
Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed only about half of parents talked to their children about online safety, and 50 per cent don’t know what to do to keep their kids safe on the internet.
The study also found just 3 per cent of parents are concerned about online grooming, while, concerningly, most believe online child sexual exploitation is too repulsive to even think about.