Image rights, right to be forgotten, risks of cyber-harassment or cyber-sexism… In a report published Thursday, November 17, the defender of rights Claire Hédon alert on the responsibility of parents concerning the right of their children to privacy, especially in the digital world. While some couples regularly publish photos or videos of their children, or even create specific accounts in their names without the consent of the latter to be filmed or photographed being sought, the defender of rights wonders. “The proliferation of disputes between parents and young adults whose childhood photos and private details of their lives have been published without their consent comes to question these trivialized practices, which nevertheless constitute unprecedented invasions of privacy. of the child”.
While any action published online “leaves traces, potentially harmful over time” for the personal and professional life of the child, Claire Hédon recalls that “these daily intrusions deprive children of their ability to define their own image and their identity, already inscribed in the public sphere”. “The staging of children’s lives can even go as far as humiliation and the publication of videos of punishment, recently judged by American courts as constituting acts of aggravated abuse which justified decisions to withdraw custody from ‘kids,’ she says.
Justine Atlan, President of the E-Childhood association and interviewed for the report, returns for L’Express to the notions of digital footprint and the right to be forgotten for children, as well as the long-term consequences of their media overexposure on the Internet.
L’Express: In her report, the defender of rights warns in particular about the question of children’s right to be forgotten on the Internet. What can be the consequences of media overexposure of children and adolescents on social networks?
Justine Atlan: We must not forget that social networks are media, and as such there is a real stake in the public nature of the content posted there. If the parent has published images of his child by naming and identifying him, he will be overtaken by these publications when he becomes autonomous on social networks. There may be a photo of him naked at age 4, a video of him having braces fitted at age 10, a post where his ears appear protruding at age 12… Commented and shared by the family and relatives. In summary, the teenager will inherit a digital identity that he did not choose, built by his parents and difficult to erase. At the end of the chain, we can have cases of cyber-harassed teenagers because of photos that their parents have themselves published on the Internet.
What is the impact of this media coverage in the construction of the child?
While some parents even create specific accounts in the name of their children, and publish a whole series of photos, videos or stories there every day, this exposure can have a large impact on the psychological development of the child. He is taught from an early age that his self-esteem depends on how others see him, and above all on the feedback of others: how many likes on a photo, how many subscribers on an account, how many comments, what pose to adopt or what smile to display to receive more “affection”… The notion of popularity then mixes with the notions of love, security , self-esteem. It can be devastating.
While the photos published on the Internet can mostly be consulted by any Internet user, is there a risk of reuse by pedo-criminal networks?
This risk is rarer, but it does exist. And parents should be aware of this: you never know where a photo of a child shared on the Internet may end up. Anyone can save a post to their phone, share it, show it… Who will get it at the end of the chain? And what will he do with it? Unfortunately, child pornography networks can feed on our content. Photos and videos that seem banal to us – a child in the bath, a little boy at the beach in a bathing suit, little girls doing cartwheels with their skirts falling off – can be repurposed. You should have this information in mind before posting anything.
In such a context, what is the role of parents in the education of children to social networks?
One day, these teenagers will indeed have their own accounts on the networks. The question of transmission is therefore very important. What is image rights, what are the consequences of showing your daily life or that of others online, where is the limit? The notions of consent, respect, validation of the image are essential: they participate today in the education of the child. If the parents have treated the child as an object of valorization, there may be a copycat effect later. Ditto on the question of the agreement of the other. Do you like this photo or not? Can I send it to so-and-so, can I publish it on such-and-such a social network? By setting an example, the child will become aware of his right to the image and that of others.
In the meantime, how can we protect the image and reputation of our children?
The mistake not to make is to consider your child as an object or an extension of yourself. You cannot dispose of your child or his image as you wish. This obliges us to integrate his image rights very early on in his education, with the idea of teaching him how to exercise it and respect that of others when he will one day be autonomous on social networks.