Campaign Highlights Dangers of 'Sharenting' and Overexposing Kids Online

Parents love to share their kids’ pictures on Instagram; there’s even a new term, 'sharenting,' used to describe parents who actively share their kids’ digital identities online. Most parents will post 1,500 photos of their child before they turn five. And many post pictures using hashtags like #pottytraining, #nakedkids and #kidsbathing. While this might seem cute and increase likes, it overexposes children by showcasing private moments that shouldn’t be shared with a large audience, making them vulnerable to paedophiles and sex offenders; specifically, these 100+ hashtags serve as flags on social media leading predators to pictures of children.

As part of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, David&Goliath (D&G) partnered with Child Rescue Coalition (CRC) – a nonprofit organisation that enables law enforcement to track, arrest and prosecute child predators – to create a movement called @KidsForPrivacy that will help kids reclaim their right to online privacy.

Launching April 3rd, the @KidsForPrivacy movement will flood more than 100+ hashtags that overexpose kids on Instagram with pictures of obscured kids holding 'Privacy Please' signs.

D&G also created a 60-second video that is narrated by a child and explains the initiative from their point of view. The campaign tagline is: “It’s your kid but it’s their privacy.”

In addition, D&G created an educational hub on Instagram called @KidsForPrivacy, where parents can learn about the dangers of overexposing theirs kids on social media and get tips on how to protect their kids’ privacy online.

People are encouraged to join the @KidsForPrivacy movement by creating their own “Privacy Please” signs and posting images online using hashtags in the takeover.

“It’s time for parents to think twice before they post,” said David Angelo, founder & chairman of D&G. “While parents are naively posting intimate photos and details about their kids on social media, they have no idea how easily these images can be screenshot and downloaded by predators and sex offenders, who can manipulate, misuse and repost them on other sites. We were blown away by CRC’s mission and the technology they’ve created that gives law enforcement access to information that they may not know even exists. Through this movement, we want to raise awareness of this issue and get parents to understand that all kids have the right to privacy online.”

The campaign runs through April 27.