This article is one of a series written by Data Protection Education in collaboration with Litus Digital, a social media management company.  The articles came about from questions asked by Data Protection Education's customers, our own experience of working in education,  as school governors, parents and data protection professionals.  The articles raise questions about how social media can be used as safely as possible in a school environment,  security considerations, the law and protecting children.  It is not possible to cover every aspect of social media, but the articles aim to provide guidance, raise privacy questions and provide some support for safe posting.

The ninth article in this series touches on the morality of posting personal data about individual's when they are too young to give consent or perhaps do not understand the risks.

We already touched on the topic of morality under consent when posting about someone other than yourself.  Although consent may be given at the time, a student may change their view on the appropriateness of a post when they get older and wish for it to be removed.  There may be later life consequences, or situations/posts that might lead to cyber bullying, (review: Keeping Children Safe in Education) especially in situation where there might be a funny post, for example, someone missing a goal in a football match in a funny way.  It could lead to other issues from teasing to the post being re-posted at the expense of the person.  Particular consideration should be given to children with SEND: Internet Matters: Understanding the role of social media.  The post may have a different impact later in life; it may embarras, harm or petentially damage their reputation or relationships.  When posting about others, it is important to prioritise their autonomy, feelings and rights.  Obtaining consent, maintaining accuracy, showing empathy and considering the potential impact are crucial ethical considerations.

Review Data Protection Education's  document Photo and Video Consent Form (172 KB) and  document Photo and Video Consent Form (172 KB) , read with: New Photo and Video Policy - and release form and Best Practice for Managing Photos and Video.

Guardians of Privacy: Social Media Articles