As children and young people across the country prepare to head back into the classroom, the AFP wants to help parents and carers keep children and young people safe when posting back-to-school photos online.
The first day of the school year is an important milestone families often celebrate with happy snaps of smiling students in their new uniforms.
But AFP Commander Helen Schneider said before sharing those images on social media, it was important to be vigilant about what information they contained and who might have access.
"It is an unfortunate reality that innocently posted pictures have been taken, shared and altered by those who have less-than-innocent intentions," Commander Schneider said.
"The AFP has seen non-explicit pictures of children and young people become the target of highly sexualised and inappropriate comments or role play, which our investigators define as text-based child abuse material.
"While these incidents are rare, the sad reality is they do happen, which is why we are urging families to be proactive with keeping their child's information safe as the 2025 school year gets under way.
"Small actions can mitigate big risks. Something as simple as blurring or obscuring the logo of your child's school on their uniform or in the background of an image can help ensure they don't become a target.
"Seemingly innocuous details - such as a child or young person's favourite hobby or a street address visible on the front door - can enable offenders to build a profile of the child with the intent of grooming them, or even manipulating parents or carers to gain access or leverage.
"I also urge parents and carers to check their privacy settings to ensure pictures and information can only be accessed by trusted friends and relatives."
A privacy check-up should include the following:
- Check your privacy settings and make sure your social media accounts are secure and set to private or 'friends only';
- Check the privacy settings on the device you are using;
- If another person is taking photos of your child, talk to them about how the photos will be used and how they will be shared;
- Ensure the background doesn't give away your address or location. Don't post your location or 'check in';
- Keep your child's uniform logo hidden; and
- Don't publicly share your child's full name and age.
Top tips for parents and carers
- Keep your child's personal information including full name and age private
- Ensure the background of photos or videos doesn't give away your address or location, (and don't post your location or 'check in')
- Avoid posting photos in school uniform
- Only share images of your children with people you know and trust
- For community accounts, consider having a closed group with approved members and ensure you have strong privacy settings in place.
