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#023 - Child Image Consent for Schools — How to Talk with Institutions (and Why Be Careful)

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TL;DR: It’s great that initiatives for children are emerging (e.g., workshops). But image consent forms are often very broad — a child’s photo can end up in ads, databases, or partner materials and circulate for years. It’s worth asking organizers for participation options without image publication (e.g., shots without faces). This aligns with best practices and recommendations from public institutions.

Why this topic matters?
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Image publication consents are often written “broadly.” In practice, this means not just social media posts, but also the possibility of using photos in promotional materials, paid campaigns, or partnerships — and after publication, real withdrawal of consent is difficult. Institutions like UODO and Orange Foundation recommend caution and precise limitation of scope and time for children’s image use.

Additionally, there are modern risks: automatic scraping of photos into external databases, facial recognition tools, deepfakes and manipulations, and “digital kidnapping” (giving a child a new identity online). Experts and organizations warn that such content can be used in undesirable contexts and is difficult to control.

Good news: educational institutions have no obligation to maintain documentation with children’s images, and publication should not be a condition for participation in activities. It can be done safely (e.g., photos without faces, shots from behind, face blurring, private album only for parents).

Ready messages to copy to group chats
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Short version (gentle and factual)
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Hey! Great that workshop proposals are coming up 🌸 Wonderful initiative for children.
I have one gentle note: participation requires image publication consent. Such consent is often very broad and may allow photo use not only on social media, but also e.g., in advertising materials. Once published, images are hard to control later, and children have no influence on this — and receive no compensation for it.
Could we ask the organizer for a participation option without publication consent (e.g., photos without faces, shots from behind, face blurring), so no child is excluded for this reason?
I hope I’m not expressing only my concerns. If anyone needs specific examples of why this can be risky, feel free to contact me privately — I’ll gladly provide details. Thanks! 🙏

Longer version (with solution proposals)
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Good day! Thank you very much for the workshop idea — sounds wonderful and kids will surely be delighted 🌷
I would like to address the topic of image publication consent. Such consents are often broad and may allow photo use not only on Facebook/Instagram, but also in ads or other promotional materials. After publication, we lose control over image circulation, and children aren’t aware of consequences — while receiving no compensation for it.
I propose a compromise:
– possibility of participation without publication consent (children out of frame or without faces),
– shots from behind / from the side or with covered faces,
– non-public album exclusively for parents (without further publication rights),
– clearly limited scope: where photos will be used and for how long.
I hope I’m not expressing only my concerns. If anyone needs specific examples of risks, feel free to contact me — I’ll gladly share details. Thank you! 🙏

What can realistically happen to a child’s photo after “broad” consent? #

  • Ads and promotions — photo may end up in marketing materials (flyers, banners, paid campaigns), even months later.
  • Sublicenses and “transfers” — company may be authorized to grant further licenses to partners; image circulates beyond our control.
  • Scraping and databases/AI — bots download photos to datasets and image search engines; removal is often practically impossible.
  • Facial recognition / profiling — linking image with residence/school location, predicting child’s habits.
  • Manipulations and deepfakes — possibility of creating realistic manipulations, including harmful ones.
  • “Digital kidnapping” (baby role play) — image theft and giving child a new online identity.
  • Difficulty withdrawing consent — after publication in many channels, real “withdrawal” of photo is very limited.

Materials to send to parents (including expert resources)
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Videos and articles:

Official guides and positions:

How to talk with organizers (checklist)
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  1. Purpose and scope — where and in what context will photos be published (website, social media, ads, prints)? For how long?
  2. Alternatives — participation without image publication (without faces/from behind/blurring), separate private album only for parents.
  3. Minimization — group photography without identifiable details (school names, schedules, location in background).
  4. Consent withdrawal — clear process for photo removal and information that no sublicenses will be granted to partners.

Note: this is not legal advice. These are practical guidelines based on public institution recommendations and educational materials.