Sharing a photo of your baby may seem harmless. However, it is a decision made on their behalf, with effects that last well beyond childhood.
What French law says
In France, a person's image is protected by the right to privacy. This right applies from birth.
Parents exercise this right on behalf of the child, in their best interest. This means that parental authorization is not a blank check: it must serve the child, not just the parents.
Shared responsibility
The consent of both parents is required for dissemination. In case of disagreement, caution prevails.
This rule also applies to relatives. Grandparents and friends sometimes publish without thinking. Our article on the role of grandparents addresses these family adjustments.
Concrete risks
Permanence
A published image can be copied, indexed, and is difficult to remove. It can resurface ten years later, in a context you didn't choose.
Misappropriation
Photos of children are regularly retrieved and reused out of context. Images of bathing, the beach, or changing are the most exposed.
Involuntary data
A photo often reveals more than its subject. The name of the school on a backpack, a street sign, a recognizable facade, a daycare uniform.
Metadata can also contain GPS location. Check your device settings.
Seven simple rules
- No photos of naked babies, in diapers, bathing, or on the potty.
- No identifiable faces in publicly accessible publications.
- No information on location, school, or regular schedules.
- Publications restricted to a genuinely known circle.
- Disable photo geotagging.
- Explicitly ask relatives not to publish anything without consent.
- Regularly delete anything that no longer needs to be online.
These rules don't require giving up sharing. They require framing it.
Alternatives to public sharing
A private shared album serves the same function, without exposure. A closed discussion group works just as well for grandparents.
A printed album has an advantage: it doesn't duplicate itself. It also creates an object that the child can handle later.
A question of mental load
Maintaining an account dedicated to one's child quickly becomes an implicit obligation. It's an additional task, rarely accounted for.
Our article on parental mental load revisits these invisible commitments.
And later?
Around six or seven years old, a child can express an opinion on their image. This opinion deserves to be heard, even if it is not legally binding.
Asking for it is a useful learning experience. It instills the idea that their consent matters.
Key takeaways
- A child's image is protected from birth.
- Photos of bathing, changing, and nudity should not be published.
- A photo often reveals a location or habit.
- Private albums offer the same pleasure without exposure.
At Treelys®, we apply this principle to our own visuals: no identifiable child faces. Our about page details this policy, and our FAQ answers common questions.
