Parents warned to protect children’s privacy when posting back-to-school photos

Parents are being warned to be extra vigilant about privacy when posting back-to-school photos online over grooming fears.

Identifying details such as a child’s name, school logo or location can pose a risk, according to Australian Federal Police.

“Any information, however seemingly innocent, can make it the easier for offenders to build a profile of a child with the intention of grooming them,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Hilda Sirec said.

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“Or even to groom the parents or carers in a bid for access or leverage.”

It’s suggested parents make their profiles private or adjust their settings to “friends only” so their photos aren’t seen by unintended audiences.

Photos with easily identifiable backgrounds and “checking in” to a location also pose a risk.

Australian Federal Police is so concerned it created a video showing how to blur identifying factors such as children’s names, school names, school logos and street numbers.

Schools and community social media pages have also been put on alert because profiles with no connection to those organisations are still able to follow their pages.