Children at risk of identity theft and fraud from 'sharenting'

Children at risk of identity theft and fraud from 'sharenting' Just now Share Save Shiona McCallum Senior tech reporter Share Save Getty Images Children are at increased risk of being harassed, cyber-bullied and having their identities stolen in later life by having their photos posted online by parents, according to new research. So-called "sharenting" - documenting a child's special moments on social media - has become commonplace, but academics now warn this could come with unexpected risks. University of Southampton researchers said their findings indicated it increased the risk of children becoming the victims of cyber-crime. "These findings highlight the serious risks which children can face when photos and videos of them are shared widely on social media," the NSPCC child safety online policy manager Rani Govender told the BBC. "Sharing photos or videos of children at scale across the online world can put their safety, privacy and wellbeing at risk," she said. The researchers surveyed more than 1,000 parents in the UK, and then conducted follow-up interviews. They found 45% of parents they spoke to actively put photos of their kids online - while one-in-six reported their child had experienced harms. One concern is that the media being shared online could reveal details like birthdays, addresses, pet names, and so on - which later in life could increase the risk of identity fraud. "Sharenting poses a real and present danger to our children," lead researcher Pamela Ugwudike said. "By proudly sharing photos and information about children on social media, parents are unwittingly putting them at risk of harm, both online such as cyberbullying, and in the real world – not just now, but also years down the line." She warned that, when pictures are shared, strangers could use that information to contact children not only online, but offline too. 'Years down the line'