Social media 101: Is it ever okay to post photos of other people's kids?

Fashion designer Stella McCartney is said to be “furious” with David Beckham after the ex-footballer posted a photo of her daughter on Instagram.

Reiley Willis, McCartney’s youngest daughter with husband Alasdhair Willis, was invited to Harper Beckham’s sixth birthday party at Buckingham Palace.

Beckham then posted a photo of his daughter and her friends, reportedly causing anger from McCartney who makes a point of keeping her children out of the public eye and off of social media.

Although many parents may not think twice about posting a photo of their children’s birthday party, the issue has caused debate about whether it’s okay to put other people’s children on social media.

Many agreed that an unspoken rule of not posting photos of other people’s kids had emerged among the parenting community. The reasons for mums and dads disliking it varied from concern about leaving a ‘digital footprint’ to worries about online predators and privacy.

In fact, a 2015 survey found that 57% of Facebook users with children under 18 said they strongly disliked people posting pictures of their children without asking for permission.

In a Reddit thread, one parent has said she understands having a problem with an individual photo, not one that features a child in a group shot.

“I agree that if I’m at a park and my child is playing with or around a single kid and I take a picture, I won’t post that to FB without cropping. But in a large group? I think it’s a tad ridiculous to think that someone should get permission from 20 different families when there’s no way those kids will even be identified. If people are that concerned about privacy they probably shouldn’t participate in group activities,” they wrote.

Other parents had some useful advice when it comes to what to do when you’re unsure whether to hit post.

“Definitely don’t tag any of the kids, even if their parents are active on Facebook. And maybe just post the photos to your own family network,” one parent commented.

“If you happen to know and chat with a specific parent, then ask if it is a concern,” another said.

One said mums and dads were being over-cautious and needed to move with the times: I really don’t get the fervour of not having your kids’ face online. It’s the world we live in now. Pretty soon they’ll be taking selfies and sharing them anyway.”

“If a parent asked me specifically not to post online, then I would respect the request. It’s easy enough to blur a face out or crop, but to just blanket not share is never going to happen.”

Another user on online parenting forum Mumsnet asked whether someone should ask her before posting a photo of her child.

“Yes. Definitely. It is surprising how many people don’t realise this until you tell them the rule, after they’ve done it. Annoying,” one mum commented.

“The most important thing is that the child is having pics posted of them online and they don’t get a say in it at all,” another noted.

Experts agree that parents need to take into account how their children will feel when they grow up.

Professor Stacey Steinberg from the University of Florida Levin College of Law told the New York Times that parents posting images of their children on social media can unintentionally “intrude on a child’s digital identity.”

“They haven’t considered the potential reach and the longevity of digital information that they’re sharing.”

What do you think about the issue? Let us know at @YahooStyleUK.

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