by T Kane

Created on: January 09, 2010

Some parents are worried about their child’s safety; some are worried about their privacy. Others just don’t want pictures of their children on everybody and their brother’s Facebook pages. It doesn’t seem the law has quite caught up with technology, the law regarding posting pics of minors isn‘t exactly clear. Can the owner of the photo post pictures of your child wherever they please? What about the model’s releases, the parent’s rights and the child’s rights? Everyone you ask will give you conflicting answers. But if you find unwanted pictures of your child posted on Facebook you may be able to get it taken down rather easily.

The obvious first solution would be to ask the poster to take the picture down. If they seem defensive just try to rationally explain your position. If they refuse don’t fret because there may still be other options.

If they aren’t respectful enough to take it down then the next step would be to report the photos to Facebook. Go to their photos and click on “report this photo”. If you are unable to view their photos and not on their friend’s list then you could try gaining a mutual friend (sometimes if you have a mutual friend you can see their photos).

After clicking on “report this photo” you will see a pop up box asking you for a reason. There are no options for this particular situation so I would suggest clicking on “Is this your intellectual property?” which is located in the bottom left hand corner of the pop up box. This will allow you to fill out a form which will allow you to express your concerns in detail.

You should see a blue link that says “automated IP infringement form”. Fill this out with all of your information and explain why you want the pictures taken down. Make it sound as serious as possible. Don’t say you don’t like Aunt Bessy and don’t want her posting pictures of your kid; express your genuine safety concerns. Perhaps Aunt Bessy has child predator friends who could easily get a hand on these photos or there is an abusive parent who shouldn’t know of the child’s whereabouts. Make them aware of your concerns about your child’s safety and privacy.

Shortly after reporting the photo you will receive and e-mail from Facebook saying they received you inquiry. After a few days check to see if the photos are still there. Hopefully this will get your child’s unauthorized photos off of face book.

Learn more about this author, T Kane.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.