WHY IT MATTERS
A young child cannot fully comprehend what it means for personal footage to be publicly available to potentially millions of people, copied by strangers and accessible years into the future. Saying yes to a camera is therefore not necessarily the same as giving fully informed consent to worldwide publication.
1. ASK THE FUTURE QUESTION
Would the adult version of this child want the material online?
2. PROTECT SENSITIVE MOMENTS
Emotional distress, discipline and deeply personal experiences should remain private.
3. RESPECT A CHILD’S NO
Refusal or visible discomfort should end filming.
4. LIMIT EXPOSURE
Consent to one photograph shouldn’t become consent to an online childhood.
5. INVOLVE OLDER CHILDREN
Give children increasing control as their understanding develops.
6. KEEP EMBARRASSING MOMENTS PRIVATE
Children shouldn’t have humiliation published for entertainment.
7. PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION
Consent to appearing on camera doesn’t automatically mean consent to publishing private details.
8. REMEMBER CHILDREN CHANGE
Something acceptable to a six-year-old may horrify them at sixteen.
9. REVIEW THE DIGITAL TRAIL
Older material should be reconsidered as children mature.
10. PUT THE CHILD ABOVE THE CONTENT
Views and engagement should never override dignity or privacy.
BOTTOM LINE
A child agreeing to be filmed does not necessarily understand what worldwide, permanent publication actually means.