Experts warn about posting pictures of your children on social media

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Experts are warning about posting pictures of your children on social media. You may be putting your kids in danger and not even realize it.

Seventy-nine percent of parents in a recent study said they uploaded pictures of their children on social media at some point.

More than 4 billion people have social media accounts, and you may not realize that you could be putting your child at risk if your profile is not on “private.”

Local experts say predators and pedophiles are scouring social media for pictures that you may not think twice about sharing — like playfulness at bath time or your child in bathing suit pictures on the beach.

Predators are specifically looking for pictures of kids with little or no clothing (e.g., swimming, bathing, sports, diapers, etc.) or identifying clothing (e.g., school uniforms).

Law enforcement officials say many images found on pornographic sites of children online are often lifted off of social media sites and photoshopped.

The Child Rescue Coalition also found a pattern of predators stalking a child in real life that they found on social media.

Here are some things you may want to consider before posting your child online:

Make your social media accounts private.
As the next school year approaches, if you post pictures of your kids on the first day of school, don’t use any identifying information like school name, teacher, or grade.
Also, make sure not to post a picture of your child’s sports uniform, your license plate, or home address
Experts also suggest you do not include your child’s friends in photos unless you have asked for permission.