South African Parents Urged to Rethink Online Sharing of Children’s Data

Kaspersky’s “Growing up online” survey reveals that almost half (47%) of parents surveyed in South Africa 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, 82% locally limit visibility to friends, friends of friends, or followers. However, 18% of surveyed parents in South Africa maintain fully public accounts, making such content accessible to anyone online. 

The main reason parents share content featuring their children is to preserve memories (76%), followed by pride in their children’s achievements (50%). At the same time, social influence also plays a role: 10% admit they post because others do the same, and 9% say they like how they appear in the photos or videos. Additionally, 6% acknowledge that they share content about their children to attract more followers or increase engagement, believing such posts generate more likes.

Notably, 30% of local respondents say they ask their children for permission before publishing content about them. 9% 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 following this advice:

• Limit 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 to 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, and lead by example by practicing responsible and mindful behaviour on social media yourselves.