Islamabad: Kaspersky “Growing up online” survey reveals that almost half (48%) of parents regularly
post photos, videos, or updates about their children on social media platforms. While family content
remains popular, privacy settings and motivations behind sharing vary significantly.
Among those who post about their children, 72% limit visibility to friends, friends of friends, or followers.
However, more than a quarter (28%) of surveyed parents maintain fully public accounts, making such
content accessible to anyone online.
The main reason parents share content featuring their children is to preserve memories (64%), followed
by pride in their children’s achievements (42%). At the same time, social influence also plays a role:
21% admit they post because others do the same, and 20% say they like how they appear in the photos
or videos. Additionally, 10% acknowledge that they share content about their children to attract more
followers or increase engagement, believing such posts generate more likes.
Notably, 59% of respondents say they ask their children for permission before publishing content about
them. However, one in five parents (20%) admit they proceed with posting regardless of whether the
child agrees.
“It can be difficult for parents to distinguish between harmless sharing and content that may
unintentionally compromise a child’s safety. What feels like a proud family moment today can contribute
to a permanent digital footprint tomorrow. That is why it is important to pause and reconsider the urge to
share – especially when the motivation is popularity or engagement. Online attention is temporary, but
the risks can be long-term,” comments Seifallah Jedidi, Head of Consumer Channel in the Middle East,
Turkiye and Africa at Kaspersky.
When parents overshare information about their children online, they may unintentionally expose
sensitive details such as full names, dates of birth, school locations or daily routines. This information
can be exploited for identity theft, social engineering, fraud, or even physical safety risks. Publicly
available photos and videos may also be misused, altered, or redistributed without consent, contributing
to long-term digital footprint issues and reputational harm.
To safeguard children’s data and share safely, Kaspersky strongly recommends limiting access to your
social media accounts and make them visible to friends only (but always mind that you add to the list of
friends the people you know personally). Do not forget about general safety settings such as two-factor
authentication and a secure password. Do not share the materials that may cause any harm for your
child, like the contacts of your child, the name of their school, etc.
Maintain open and trusting relationships with your children, talk to them about digital hygiene and online
safety. Consider a reliable security solution like Kaspersky Premium with Safe Kids module, which helps
to guard your family and private data, plus protects your kids online and beyond.
About Kaspersky
Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. With over a billion
devices protected to date from emerging cyberthreats and targeted attacks, Kaspersky’s deep threat
intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services to
protect individuals, businesses, critical infrastructure and governments around the globe. The
company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading digital life protection for personal devices,
specialized security products and services for companies, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight
sophisticated and evolving digital threats. We help millions of individuals and nearly 200,000 corporate
clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.
