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Police ask parents to think carefully before posting 1st-day-of-school pics

Photos including a banner with a child's name, age, grade and school tend to pop up on social media feeds around this time of the year. The RCMP says the pictures are not as harmless as some parents would think.

'Something that may appear innocent could have some consequence'

Arturo Chang · CBC News ·
A composite image. On the left, a woman on a police uniform holds a 'first day of school sign' that includes a child's grade, teacher and age. On the right the woman holds the same sign, but with less information.
RCMP say it's okay to post photos of your child's first day of school... as long as you don't include too much information. (Sylvan Lake RCMP)

P.E.I. RCMP are advising parents to think twice before posting back-to-school pictures of their children online.

Photos including a banner with a child's name, age, grade and school tend to pop up on social media feeds around this time of the year.

The practice may seem like a harmless way to celebrate a milestone, but RCMP Cpl. Gavin Moore says it's not without its risks. He says this type of picture often contains information predators and scammers would like to know. 

"Some of the things that we just want to remind parents of when it comes to posting these photos is to remember that everything that you post on here could potentially be seen by anybody," Moore said. 

"Certainly we wouldn't want to share names, addresses, schools, teachers, any private information with those that may have dark-hearted intentions."

A school bus stop arm.
As the new school year approaches, remember that passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing is illegal and dangerous. (Kris Ketonen/CBC)

RCMP said some of the basic things people can do to protect themselves on social media is to adjust their privacy settings so that not everyone has access to the information they post.

Moore said he encourages parents to use these sorts of situations to teach their children about the importance of online privacy — particularly since a lot of them have social media accounts of their own.

"It's important to have that conversation that something that may appear innocent could have some consequence," he said.

The RCMP said as classes begin, it's time to think about school safety in general. That includes remembering to look out for the school bus, slow down and keep distance. 

With files from Wayne Thibodeau

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