It's Time to Let Go of the Photo Release

At some undetermined time in recent history, it became required for parents to hand over the privacy rights of their children to schools, churches, youth sports organizations, and more. This has occurred thanks to the ubiquitous “Photo Release” statement.

If you want your child to do much more than play in your own backyard, consenting to a photo release is now standard protocol.

These waivers typically read something like this,

Photo Release: XYZ Youth Organization has permission to use my child’s photography to promote XYZ on its website and through social media and without further consideration it is also understood that all rights have been waived to inspect or approve the finished product and XYZ company is released from any liability and is protected against any violation of any right of privacy.

Following the photo release request is typically only a single option, “Please select agree to continue.” Before you can sign your son up for Little League, enroll your daughter in ballet classes, or register your child for Kindergarten, you are pressured to agree to the photo release statement.

Given the increasing danger of children spending time online, bad actors who are preying on kids via social media, and the rise of deepfake pornography, it is time we rethink using minors’ images as free promotional material. Parents should stop allowing organizations to tether social media posts to our children’s ability to participate in the normal activities of childhood. As a culture, protecting privacy rights of children should outweigh any organization’s desire for online promotion.

This past spring, President Trump signed into law the Take It Down Act, which requires online platforms to remove non-consensual sexual imagery created through AI within 48 hours of being notified by the victim. This is a step in the right direction, but it also drives home the point that creating and distributing deepfake pornographic images (many of which are created by bad actors trolling social media feeds for photos) are so commonplace that federal protections are needed. This law does not stop your child from possibly being turned into AI-generated pornography; it only helps to shorten the length of time your child is victimized online.

If all of this is new to you, consider yourself informed. Being informed is a critical aspect of giving legal consent. Typical photo release statements are not informing parents that photos posted to social media become the property of those social media companies, not the school or youth organization parents have entrusted their children with. Nor are parents informed that predators have used geolocation sharing via social media to kidnap or harass others. If organizations aren’t providing full informed consent, and requiring a parent to sign on anyway, it should be raising a lot of red flags.

Participation in the normal events of childhood like attending school or summer camp should be remembered with fondness through private photos, rather than become a permanent digital footprint.

Furthermore, most adults I know are glad to have grown up prior to social media, having our awkward teen years relegated to 4x6 prints instead of the world wide web. Doesn’t it stand to reason that our children might just feel the same way? As a culture, we need to reconsider if a handful of immediate likes is worth a lifetime of embarrassment—or worse.

For the moms and dads who want to protect the privacy rights of their children, there are a few simple steps to take.

1. For schools, churches, and other organizations that give the option of saying "no" on the form, choose this option.

And in doing so, let the administrators know you are thankful they are prioritizing the real-world over the virtual world! Making your voice heard is important as it will encourage the organization to continue on this path.

2. For schools and youth-organizations that do not offer the option to decline: Reach out to an administrator or director, and explain to them that you would still like for your child to be able to be part of their event, but that you are revoking your consent to the photo release statement.

I’ve done this with my children’s school, church, and extra-curricular activities, and in each instance the organization was kind and gracious enough to comply with my request. Ultimately the biggest hang up is that it requires more work on their part to select which photos do or do not appear online. But when it comes to protecting children, this is a small ask and one organizations should rush to accommodate.

3. Encourage other parents to speak up as well. As more parents bring concerns forward, forced agreements to photo releases may start to quickly fall out of favor. Schools and youth organizations will adapt to the new norm. I am already seeing signs of this in my circles, thanks to a few like-minded families speaking up and administrators who are willing to listen.

In the long run, it should become the exception to use children as free marketing material. Participation in the normal events of childhood like attending school or summer camp are better served being remembered with fondness, rather than becoming a permanent digital footprint.

Emily Harrison is a writer, advocate, and speaker on digital media and family. She is a Fellow with the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, Ambassador for the Phone Free Schools Movement, and ScreenStrong, and a member of Fairplay’s Screen Time Action Network. She blogs weekly at DearChristianParent.Substack.com.

*Photo credit: Shutterstock