Back to school: Police urge online safety amid privacy concerns

The start of the school year is a memorable time, with many parents marking the occasion by posting pictures of their children in school uniforms, often in front of their homes or schools. Photo / 123RF

As thousands of children across Tairāwhiti return to school, police urge parents to proactively approach online safety and ensure their children’s personal information remains secure.

A police spokesperson said in a statement the start of the school year is a memorable time, with many parents marking the occasion by posting pictures of their children in school uniforms, often in front of their homes or schools. However, they warn seemingly innocent posts can unintentionally reveal personal details that could put families at risk.

“While police understand the importance of these milestones, parents and caregivers should remain cautious about what information their images share and who can access them,” they said.

Although reports of children being located through online photos are rare in New Zealand, police say international cases show it does happen.

Police have laid out some tips around privacy for those parents and friends posting back-to-school images of children online to ensure their safety.

To protect privacy, police recommend:

• Avoiding images that include school uniforms, logos, school buildings, or street signs. If that’s unavoidable, edit or blur these details.
• Reviewing app privacy settings and restricting profiles to private or “friends only”.
• Turning off location tracking on social media.
• Keeping children’s personal details – such as their full name, age, and school year – off public posts.
• Reporting any suspicious behaviour online.