Why You Should Rethink Posting Photos Of Your Children On Social Media | TODAY

TODAY

20 Mar 201804:47

Summary

TLDRThe video script addresses the alarming issue of 'digital kidnapping', where predators exploit social media to track and exploit children. It highlights how parents unknowingly share photos and personal information of their children online, which can be used by bad actors to locate and potentially harm them. The segment features a cyber security expert demonstrating how easily one can gather detailed information about a family from their social media posts. The reporter emphasizes the importance of privacy settings, suggesting making profiles private, categorizing friends for safety, and turning off location features in phone settings to protect children's information. It serves as a wake-up call for parents to be more vigilant about their online activities and to regularly review and clean up their social media connections.

Takeaways

🚨 Digital kidnapping is a serious threat where predators use social media to track and exploit children.
👀 Parents often unknowingly share photos and information about their children, which can be used maliciously.
📍 Photos can contain hidden location data, even without explicit geotagging, that can reveal where you and your children are.
🔒 To protect your family, adjust privacy settings on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to limit who can see your posts.
🛡️ Creating separate friend groups on Facebook and only sharing children's photos with trusted contacts can add an extra layer of security.
📱 Ensure the location services are turned off for your camera on your phone to prevent location data from being embedded in photos.
👪 Avoid using your children's photos in profile or cover photos, as these are always public on social media platforms.
🧐 Be cautious about the information you share online, as it can be pieced together by strangers to create a detailed profile of your family.
🤔 Regularly review and clean up your social media friends list to remove any contacts you're not close with or no longer wish to connect with.
⏰ Use periodic reminders, such as changing clocks for daylight saving time, to review your social media and phone settings for privacy.
👀 Awareness is key – understand the risks associated with oversharing on social media and take proactive steps to safeguard your family's information.

Q & A

What is the phenomenon being discussed in the transcript?
-The phenomenon being discussed is 'Digital Kidnapping,' which refers to the misuse of children's photos and personal information posted online by parents, potentially putting their safety at risk.
Why are experts issuing an alert about social media posts?
-Experts are issuing an alert because bad actors are using social media posts to track children, steal their photos, and spread them online, sometimes for nefarious purposes.
What is the simple setting change recommended for protecting one's family on social media platforms?
-The recommended setting change is to make your profile private on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and to adjust the privacy settings to 'Friends Only' to limit the audience of your posts.
How can a hidden location signature in photos pose a risk?
-A hidden location signature, or metadata, in photos can reveal where the photo was taken, even if the location isn't explicitly tagged. This can allow anyone, including potential predators, to find out where you and your children are.
What information was discovered about Michelle and Reese's family by the cyber security expert?
-The cyber security expert discovered the names of Michelle and Reese's children, their ages, dates of birth, the school they attend, the address of the school, the teacher's name, the playgrounds they visit, and the frequency of their visits.
What is the potential danger of sharing detailed personal information on social media?
-Sharing detailed personal information on social media can allow strangers to impersonate family members or friends, potentially gaining the trust of a child and leading to dangerous situations.
How can parents categorize their friends on Facebook for better privacy control?
-Parents can categorize their friends on Facebook by creating separate friend lists or groups, and then adjust their privacy settings to share their children's photos only with trusted individuals in these groups.
Why is it advised to turn off the location function on the camera setting of your phone?
-Turning off the location function on the camera setting prevents the embedding of GPS data into photos, which could otherwise reveal the location where the photo was taken and potentially compromise privacy and safety.
Why should you avoid putting your kids in your profile or cover photo on social media?
-Profile and cover photos are always public, which means anyone can see them, including potential predators. It's safer to keep children's images out of these highly visible areas of a social media account.
What is the suggestion for using the biannual clock change as a reminder?
-Experts suggest using the biannual clock change as a reminder to review and clean up your social media friends list, deleting anyone you're not close to or no longer friends with, to reduce the risk of information falling into the wrong hands.
What is the term used to describe the act of predators stealing children's photos and personal information from social media?
-The term used is 'Digital Kidnapping,' which highlights the serious nature of this online threat where personal information is misused to exploit or deceive.

Outlines

00:00

📸 Social Media and Digital Kidnapping

Jeff Rossen discusses the risks of sharing children's photos on social media, a phenomenon known as 'digital kidnapping.' The segment covers how predators exploit publicly available images and information to track and potentially harm children. It emphasizes the importance of being cautious about what is posted online and provides tips for protecting privacy, such as changing phone settings to remove location signatures from photos and adjusting social media privacy settings to limit the audience of posts.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Digital Kidnapping

Digital kidnapping refers to the unauthorized use of someone's personal information or images, typically of children, by strangers on the internet. In the context of the video, it is a form of online crime where predators steal children's photos and spread them online, sometimes even falsely claiming to be their parent. This is illustrated by the example of a stranger claiming a girl was his daughter.

💡Social Media

Social media are online platforms that allow users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The video discusses how parents use social media to keep friends and family informed about their children's lives. However, it also warns about the potential dangers of sharing too much information, such as making profiles public and inadvertently revealing personal details that can be exploited by predators.

💡Location Signature

A location signature is metadata embedded in digital photos that can reveal the precise location where the photo was taken. The video emphasizes the importance of being aware of this feature, as it can inadvertently expose a person's whereabouts even if they do not explicitly tag their location. This is a critical aspect of the theme, as it contributes to the risk of digital kidnapping.

💡Cyber Security Expert

A cyber security expert is a professional who specializes in protecting computer systems and networks from unauthorized access, theft, or damage. In the video, a cyber security expert is shown to have compiled a detailed dossier on a family's children just from their social media profiles, highlighting the extent of information that can be gleaned and the importance of online privacy.

💡Privacy Settings

Privacy settings are configurations on social media platforms that allow users to control who can see their content. The video provides advice on changing these settings to protect one's family, such as making profiles private and adjusting settings to share content only with certain groups of friends. This is a key solution presented in the video to mitigate the risks associated with social media use.

💡Online Predator

An online predator is an individual who uses the internet to exploit or deceive others, particularly children. The video uses the term to describe those who engage in digital kidnapping. The threat of online predators is central to the video's message, as it underscores the need for parents to be vigilant about their children's online presence and to take steps to protect their privacy.

💡Profile Photo

A profile photo is a picture that represents a user on social media platforms. The video advises against using children's images in profile or cover photos, as these are typically public and can be seen by anyone, including potential predators. This advice is part of the broader strategy to reduce the risk of digital kidnapping.

💡Camera Setting

Camera settings on a smartphone or other devices refer to the options that control how photos and videos are captured. The video specifically mentions turning off the location function in camera settings to prevent the embedding of location signatures in photos. This is a practical tip to help protect one's privacy and avoid inadvertently revealing one's location online.

💡Public vs. Private

Public and private are terms used to describe the accessibility of content on social media. Public content can be viewed by anyone, while private content is only accessible to approved followers or friends. The video stresses the importance of setting profiles to private to prevent unauthorized individuals from viewing and misusing personal information.

💡Friends Only

Friends only is a privacy setting on social media platforms that restricts content visibility to users who have been approved as friends by the account owner. The video suggests changing settings from public to friends only as a measure to enhance privacy and protect children's information from being accessed by strangers.

💡Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity involves the protection of internet-connected systems, including hardware, software, and data, from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. The video touches on the importance of cybersecurity in the context of social media use, emphasizing the need for parents to be aware of potential threats and to take preventive measures to safeguard their children's online safety.

Highlights

Jeff Rossen discusses the phenomenon of 'Digital Kidnapping', where predators use social media posts to track children.

Experts warn that sharing photos of children online can put them at risk from bad actors.

Simple phone settings can help protect families from having their children's locations discovered through photos.

Parents are often unaware of the risks associated with sharing their children's lives on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

A stranger can claim a child as their own by stealing photos and spreading them online.

In one case, a child's photo was found tagged on a porn site, highlighting the severity of digital kidnapping.

Most people unknowingly put their families at risk by oversharing on social media.

Reporter Michelle and Reese were unaware of the private information found on their social media by a cyber security expert.

The expert, Jesse Weinberger, was able to gather detailed information about the family, including names, ages, school, and routines.

Photos can contain a hidden location signature, even without explicit geotagging.

Predators can use this information to approach children, posing as someone they know.

Michelle and Reese were shocked by the extent of information a cyber security expert was able to compile about their children.

The reporter emphasizes the importance of not setting children up for dangerous situations through oversharing.

Making profiles private on Instagram and changing settings to 'Friends Only' on Facebook can help protect children's information.

Creating separate friend groups on Facebook and only sharing children's photos with trusted individuals is advised.

Turning off the location function in phone camera settings prevents embedded location signatures in photos.

Avoid using children's photos in profile or cover photos, as these are always public.

Experts recommend periodically reviewing and cleaning up social media friend lists to remove non-friends.