Public Service Announcement – please read.
F is for Facebook; where you share intimate photos of your family and friends to…well, hopefully your family and friends.
P is for Paedophiles; who trawl facebook for intimate photos of family and friends.
I am writing this because yesterday I had pop up in my newsfeed ticker in facebook that one of my friends had “become friends” with another person. I was bored, nosey curious so I clicked on the link to this person and my stomach fell through the floor. I wont repost the picture as it would entirely defeat the purpose of this post, but I was totally horrified to see that this person, this mother, has as her cover photo a picture of 6 children, aged from about 12 months to 4 years, naked taken from behind at a beach. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was an adorable picture and if it were my kids I would prolly have it blown up on canvas on my wall at home, BUT it was on her cover photo, which as we all know is PUBLIC. Upon further looking, I discovered ALL this persons photos of her family were public and I could see into her life and that of her children, even though she was a complete stranger and had no clue that I was trolling through her life.
PLEASE, please, DON’T put these sorts of pictures up as your cover/profile pictures, however cute and innocent they may be. Save them for your friends to see and even then, keep them limited viewing so that friends of friends cannot see them. If you have a lot of cyber-friends on your list I would seriously rethink posting any pictures of your children or other peoples children in ANY form of nudity as you really cannot trust people you have not met.
YOU might think that such pictures are cute-patootie bums on a beach but do you know what a paedophile is thinking who is trolling facebook parents with young children?
“I’d like to tap that…”
…is what they are thinking and they have prolly already saved your photo to their harddrive to do the five knuckle shuffle to that night.
In my newsfeed, I often see such beautiful, even artistic photos of little girls, perfect strangers, with their skirts hitched up so a glimpse of knickers, an invitation, is visible – I bet those photos are right-clicked and saved too. 🙁
Don’t turn a blind eye that it can’t, and doesn’t happen, and that your children aren’t vulnerable.
As a police family, I am well aware of what cyber crime there is out there, and the potential of facebook to contribute to it – paedophiles are everywhere and facebook is their playground. Do not fool yourself to think otherwise.
Please, protect your children – their innocence is your responsibility and they have nobody they trust more with it. Do you really want some dude jerking off to photos of your precious babies? Because, trust me, they will!
In the wake of the paedophile/murder trial of Daniel Morcombe last week, we all know that there IS filth and horror out there – please don’t make their lives easier by exposing your children to their sick minds.
THINK about your public profile and its pictures; go into your settings and privatise your personal albums to friends only (not friends of friends). Try to look at the pictures you post publicly as if you were a dirt-bag – if in doubt, don’t post it.
Please.
Good reminder, Lisa!
yep!
if you’re not happy with the ENTIRE world to see it dont put it on the web.
So true and people just don’t realise.
Salz recently posted…Back to blogging basics
This post is HUGELY important. Thank you. I’ll be sharing this all over.
They Call Me Mummy recently posted…10 Ways to Empower Our Kids Against Predators
So very sad, and so very true. The main reason I am not a fan of Facebook.
From Katie to Kate recently posted…Imagine if…
This is something we all need to remember… I think carefully before posting certain photos online!
This is something I am very conscious of. I am always cautious of what pics I put on my personal FB even though I have my settings tight. On my blog’s FB we try not to even show faces or use their real names. It’s a scary world out there.
It’s a true point. When I had children and realised that I wanted to start posting photos of them I culled my friends list to people I talk too. And since then Ive actually created a friends group which further increases my privacy level. That way I can tag people in the photos, but still only people in my actual group can see the photo, not friends of my friend.
Thanks for the reminder x
A VERY VERY good reminder hun. I cannot even begin to imagine if those cute nudie photos fell into the wrong hands 🙁 xx
Sonia Life Love Hiccups recently posted…The Weekend Rewind Blog Hopping Party 7 – Yo Birthday Boy
It’s a reminder of the bad side of social media…I must admit I double check every photo I upload to FB, or even to my blog…to make sure it’s ok. I love sharing photos…I take quite a few…but you just have to be so careful. Thank you for reminding me to check my settings!
Totally agree with you! I have been shocked at some of the innocent yet revealing images I have seen on FB posted by parents! Bath time images for example and nudity. I would never post images like this of my children. My Mother was one if the first 30 women employed in the Victorian Police Force. Call me paranoid, but I was raised with a knowledge of the darker natures of mankind. We can never be too careful. Please don’t forget it people! Great post!
Jody at Six Little Hearts recently posted…How To Make Home Made Greek Tzatziki Dip…
A learnt a big lesson thus week posting a similar pic. It just didnt occur to me that there would bsnything sinister abiut it! I hate that we have to be so careful abd are so controlled by these big P’s but i dont get my naivity about it. Thanks for sharing xx
Its scary how we have to factor in the sickos to what we share online isnt it? The pictures arent sinister, just other awful people. 🙁 Hope I helped. Love your blog. x