Why I Don't Post Family Photos Online
@DeborahDiane (40055)
Laguna Woods, California
November 26, 2015 8:05pm CST
Over the seven or eight years that I have been writing online, I have only rarely posted a photo of any member of my family. When I have done so, I have intentionally used either low quality, slightly blurred photos or ones in which the faces are not visible at all.
Why do I do that?
A few years ago I read about a woman who was driving down a street and saw a billboard with her photo on it. It was a photo she had put on Facebook! Someone else had taken it and thought it was "perfect" for the item they were selling.
Of course, the woman sued, won a cash settlement, and got the billboard and advertising program removed.
What if one of those billboards had not been put up in her own neighborhood? She would never have known.
As a result, I have the tightest possible settings on my Facebook account, and so do my daughters. While I do post photos of family members on Facebook, no "friends of friends" can see my photos.
In addition, I am very careful not to post photos of family members on any of the dozens of sites where I have written over the years ... unless they are obscured in some way.
I would be upset to discover that a photo of one of my grandchildren was being used to promote a product!
In addition, child pornographers have been known to scour websites looking for photos of children that they can alter to make them appear more provocative. I would be truly horrified if that ever happened!
I just wanted to write this because I think other people need to think carefully about the photos they put online.
Attached to this article is a photo of one of my grandsons. As you can see, no one would ever know who it was or where it was taken ... and that is exactly the way I like it!
Better safe than sorry! 
29 people like this
28 responses
@Namelesss (3368)
• United States
27 Nov 15
I completely agree despite the fact that I do enjoy seeing other people's photos. I'm amazed everyday at what people will put online. Guess they haven't figured out that once there it's always there. The upside is most everything gets buried in due time.
7 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Nov 15
Yes, you are so right that most things do eventually get buried ... thank goodness!
3 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
I agree! I have only about 100 Facebook friends ... all relatives or close family friends ... and I am still careful about what I post.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157555)
• United States
27 Nov 15
I probably am not as strongly defensive as you, but I do not post any pictures of my grandkids. IF their parents do, it is their privilege to do so, but I am also familiar with report of the misused family picture that you mentioned.
5 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Nov 15
None of my children post public pictures of their children either ... only on their private Facebook accounts with the highest settings.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (159058)
• Boise, Idaho
27 Nov 15
That is a shame that you have heard of this and feel this way. It is always good to keep family safe. I just feel badly that these types of people who steal pictures have your mind you feel the way you do.
3 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Nov 15
Yes, it is a shame that these things happen. However, I would not want to put anyone in my family at risk.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Nov 15
I have heard of that happening, too. I should have mentioned that in my article ... that some people have been blackmailed with their online pictures that they did not want to go public.
3 people like this
@TheHorse (205775)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Nov 15
I pretty much do the same thing. I post more pictures of pretty places, or projects I'm working on, than people. It's just a matter of respecting privacy. Most of the kid photos I post are from a few years ago, when they looked quite different than they do now.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Nov 15
I think you are smart to be cautious. Most of the time, nothing would happen. However, if even one photo was misused, you would feel awful.
3 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
@TheHorse - You make a good point. There are random photos of people that I find all the time on morguefile.com (which is a file of hundreds of thousands of free photos). That is the only site, other than Pixabay, where I get photos, because I know they are OK to use. I always wonder about the people who allow their photos to be used on the internet. I hope they were paid for their photos at one time.
1 person likes this
@dodo19 (47077)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
27 Nov 15
I am very careful as well. My husband and I don't post many pictures of our kids on Facebook, and we're pretty careful with the settings and such. Otherwise I don't post pictures of my kids on here. I'm just trying to protect my family.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Nov 15
I think you are wise! You would feel terrible if even one photo of your children was misused!
1 person likes this
@dodo19 (47077)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
28 Nov 15
@DeborahDiane I certainly would. I don't want anyone to use pictures I post without my knowledge or my husband's knowledge. As parents we want to protect our kids.
1 person likes this
@TexanTornado (5573)
• United States
28 Nov 15
I don't post family photos online, cause it would be breaking the others in the photos privacy. To me it's just wrong.
2 people like this
@TexanTornado (5573)
• United States
29 Nov 15
@DeborahDiane You got that right! 
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
I agree! None of us have the right to break the privacy of another person.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79768)
• United States
27 Nov 15
I never post pictures of my family. I'm just too skeptical
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Nov 15
Sometimes, it is smart to be skeptical!
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15833)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
I have the tightest possible facebook settings. I don't use it!!!
I would never post pictures on the internet of anyone without their permission. In the case of children then that just becomes never because they can't legally give informed consent.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
Yes, you make a good point. That is the tightest possible facebook setting!
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
28 Nov 15
I think you are very smart. If i put photos here they are old and unrecognizable. Same with FB. I would hate to see me on a bilboard...
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
Yes, if you have ever noticed, the photo I use here is slightly blurry ... poor enough quality that I would be surprised if anyone else ever used it.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
28 Nov 15
I think this is wise, but not for the reasons you listed, although they are indeed valid. I was stalked twice in the past. I don't use my real name online and have very struck settings on Facebook, where I do not post my picture.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
6 Dec 15
@ElizabethWallace - You are so right!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
That is also an excellent reason to be cautious. At one time, Infobarrel was going to require its writers to use their real names and pictures. However, all the writers rebelled. One woman said that she had left an abusive marriage and moved far away from her ex-spouse. Under no circumstances was she going to use her real name and/or photo online.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
29 Nov 15
@DeborahDiane Exactly. Real info sounds good in theory, but in the real world, it can be scary.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
I notice that you do not even put up photos of yourself ... and you are probably smart to do that!
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
@paigea - At one time, InfoBarrel was going to make all the writers use real pictures and real names. That idea lasted about two or three days, when many of the writers said they would stop writing there. One woman said that she had left an abusive marriage and moved far away from her former spouse. Under no circumstances would she start using her real name and photo on any website.
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
27 Nov 15
my FB account settings is on private and I post pictures of my family and colleagues as well, but I do not put my address and where I work.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
I do not have my address, where I work, or other identifiable information on Facebook. My friends already know that stuff and strangers do not need to know it.
1 person likes this
@Blondie2222 (28611)
• United States
29 Nov 15
I don't post pictures of my family too often unless i have permission to do so. I am very private also but certain events i may post something but not that often.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
2 Dec 15
If you have tight Facebook settings, I don't see anything wrong with posting photos on it for your family and close friends. However, I would never post personal photos on a public site like MyLot.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
7 Dec 15
@DeborahDiane I don;t want lots of friends if those are not really your "real" friends .
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
6 Dec 15
I don't understand people who brag that they have "500 friends" on Facebook. No one can trust that many people!
1 person likes this
@lokisdad (4226)
• United States
28 Nov 15
yes you are right and i have unfriended people for stealing pics of my children to share without my consent. Although if they happen to take a photo of me or my wife and use it for a product I would be making sure that we would be getting a but of the money seeing as nobody asked just to prove a point.
1 person likes this
@lokisdad (4226)
• United States
29 Nov 15
@DeborahDiane I know it wasn't done with maliCious intent but as we explained to the person there are pedaphiles out there and if a friend ot a friend can view it and it falls into the wrong hands it is a problem. They understood took it down it never happened again we're still friends life went on. We just want our Kids to be Safe
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
That would be horrible if someone stole a photo of one of my grandkids from my Facebook page and shared it without consent. I would be furious!
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
29 Nov 15
I think even those of us that have heard this before need to be reminded. I went to an annual cousins lunch today and took my camera. At the last minute I decided against taking pictures with it for that very reason. My cousin posted a couple and they were quite blurry, but I don't think it was intentional, but yet, better that way.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
2 Dec 15
Yes, there is something to be said for using low quality photos. I don't mind posting Facebook photos of adults who know I am doing it. However, I am very hesitant to post photos of my grandchildren or people who do not want me to.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
I am happy to see you here, @Vivenda, too! 
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
I have enjoyed seeing your photos of Australia, the kangaroos in your backyard, and the places you have visited in Europe. Those types of photos are fine. One the other hand, we have to be careful with photos of real people.
2 people like this
