Action week on social mediaChildren are not content!

They are playing on the beach, laughing while eating ice cream or fooling around in the car - pictures of children often seem harmless and adorable. But many adults underestimate this: If such images are posted online, they can cause long-term damage. This is exactly what the initiatives klicksafe, SCHAU HIN!, Gutes Aufwachsen mit Medien, the Federal Agency for Child and Youth Media Protection and the Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues are warning against with a week of action on social media under #KindersindkeinContent.

Children are not content!

The term "sharenting" has been coined to describe the phenomenon of parents making their children's pictures publicly accessible. It is made up of the English word "parenting" and the verb "to share". Parents share everyday photos of their children on social networks. This is because they want to share the beautiful, funny or grotesque moments of family life with others. Unfortunately, they too often neglect the child's perspective. According to the study "Kinder. Pictures. Rights" (University of Cologne, Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk), many parents publish photos of their children without their child's consent. At the same time, they state that they often feel insecure when using digital services. The consequence: a lack of data protection - even for the youngest children.

While showing little skin and placing an emoji over the face used to be enough to protect children, today's AI tools make it easy to bypass this provisional protection. Even supposedly harmless or blurred photos can be downloaded by strangers, altered and used for other purposes - including the digital creation of sexualized images.

Together with other initiatives, we want to raise awareness among parents, grandparents and other caregivers about the responsible use of children's images - with specific tips, explanatory graphics and information snippets on our social media channels.

Campaign week #KindersindkeinContent

The campaign week on social media #KindersindkeinContent from klicksafe, Take a look, Growing up well with mediathe Federal Center for Child and Youth Media Protection and the Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues is being deliberately launched before the start of the vacations in Germany on 23.06.2025. This is because a particularly large number of vacation photos end up on social networks during the vacation season. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness among parents not tosharechildren's photos carelessly and to respect their children ' s rights.

Anyone can take part using the hashtag #KindersindkeinContent and set an example for more child protection online.

Further information on the campaign week can be found in the joint press release.

Five risks when sharing children's photos online

  1. Loss of image rights: When uploading to social media platforms, users usually relinquish the rights to their images. These can then be used commercially or passed on.
  2. Disclosure of private data: Names, places or school uniforms in the picture allow conclusions to be drawn about the child - strangers could make contact.
  3. Cyberbullying: Even well-intentioned photos can become the target of ridicule and exposure - even years later.
  4. Sexualized abuse: Pedocriminals specifically search for images of children - harmless images are often enough.
  5. AI manipulation: Artificial intelligence can be used to alter images or insert them into threatening contexts.

Source: Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk: Sharing is not caring

Child influencing = child endangerment?

A legal opinion prepared on behalf of the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk together with Campact e.V. concludes that the activities of children as influencers can pose a significant risk to the welfare of children. The commercial publication of photos and videos on social media platforms in particular is viewed critically, as it can violate children's privacy and personal rights. The authors see too many loopholes and insufficient controls in the current legal provisions. The report therefore calls for stricter regulations to protect the "digital personality" of children and safeguard their rights.

Further information: Social media stars in the nursery

What parents should consider when dealing with images and videos online

  • Have I checked who can see the image or video?
  • Did I take the picture or video myself? If not, have I checked the copyright?
  • Have all those who appear in the image or video given me permission to share it?
  • Does the background of the picture or video not reveal anything about where I am in "real" life?
  • Am I aware that I am transferring image rights to the platform when uploading?
  • Am I sure that the picture or video does not show an unpleasant or embarrassing situation?
  • Am I aware that even seemingly harmless images and videos can be misused?
  • Would it be okay for me if such a child picture or video of me was available online today?
  • Would I feel comfortable with the image or video being saved by others and forwarded to strangers?

Further information from klicksafe

Too naked for the Internet? - for parents