What is Sharenting? The Hidden Risks & What to Do Instead
The average child has over 1,300 photos of them online before they turn 13 - most posted by their own parents. Here's what sharenting really means, why it matters, and how to share family moments privately without the risks.
What Does "Sharenting" Mean?
Sharenting (a blend of "sharing" and "parenting") is the practice of posting photos, videos, and stories about your children on public social media. It feels natural - you're proud, family is far away, and everyone else is doing it. But each post adds to a permanent digital record your child never consented to.
The Real Risks of Sharenting
- Digital kidnapping - strangers stealing your child's photos to roleplay as parents or create fake identities
- AI training - Meta and others use public posts to train AI, including facial recognition
- Identity theft groundwork - birth dates, full names, hometowns exposed in captions
- Predator exposure - "private" accounts are rarely as private as parents assume
- Permanent digital footprint - future employers, partners, and classmates will find these posts
- Loss of consent - your child can't tell you at age 2 that they don't want the bath photo online at age 22
Why Privacy Settings Aren't Enough
Even "friends-only" posts can be screenshotted and reshared. Platforms change privacy defaults without notice. Tagged photos appear on other people's accounts. Data breaches happen. The only real protection is not putting the content on a public platform in the first place.
The Safer Alternative: Private Family Sharing
You can still share every milestone with grandparents, siblings, and close friends - without any of the sharenting risks. Clann is built specifically for this:
- Invite-only family groups - only people you invite can ever see photos
- No AI training - your child's face is never used to train anything
- No ads, no data selling - your family isn't the product
- Not indexed by search engines - Google will never surface your child's photos
- Web access for grandparents - no app download needed
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sharenting?
Sharenting is a combination of "sharing" and "parenting" - the practice of parents posting photos, videos, and information about their children on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. While it may seem harmless, sharenting creates a permanent digital footprint for your child before they are old enough to consent.
Is sharenting dangerous?
Yes, sharenting carries real risks: (1) Digital kidnapping - strangers stealing photos to impersonate your child, (2) AI training - platforms using your child's face to train facial recognition, (3) Identity theft - birth dates, full names, and locations exposed, (4) Predators - public photos reaching unintended audiences, (5) Permanent digital footprint - photos that follow your child into adulthood. Studies show the average child has over 1,300 photos posted online by age 13.
What is digital kidnapping?
Digital kidnapping is when someone steals photos of your child from social media and reposts them pretending the child is theirs. It's often used in "baby role-playing" communities, scams, or to create fake identities. Because most parents post with public or loose privacy settings, this is surprisingly common.
Do social media companies use my child's photos for AI?
Many do. Meta (Facebook and Instagram) has confirmed using public posts to train AI. Photos uploaded to Google Photos and other cloud services may also be scanned. Once a photo is used for AI training, it cannot be removed from those models. Private photo sharing apps like Clann explicitly do not use photos for AI training.
What should I do instead of sharenting?
Use a private, invite-only family photo app like Clann where only people you invite can see photos. Your photos are never used for AI training, never shown to advertisers, and never indexed by search engines. Family members can see updates and leave comments or voice notes just like social media - but privately.
Can I ask family members to stop sharenting my child?
Yes, and many parents do. Politely explain your privacy concerns and offer them an alternative - like inviting them to a private family group on Clann where they can see all your photos and updates without needing to share anything publicly. Most grandparents are happy to switch once they understand the risks.
What is the "right to be forgotten" for children?
Some countries (particularly in Europe) recognise a child's right to have information about them removed. France has specific laws against sharenting. In the US, there are fewer protections - making it even more important for parents to make privacy-conscious choices upfront, since removing photos later is extremely difficult.
Share Without Sharenting
Keep your family close without a public digital footprint. Clann is free to download.