CEBU CITY — Parents using their kids as content for social media posts can be sued for child exploitation based on several laws that protect children’s rights, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
DSWD Central Visayas Regional Director Shalane Lucero said there are possible complaints that can be filed against such parents, as well as media practitioners and content creators who violate children’s rights to privacy during reportage, particularly interviews, as well as content creation.
Lucero revealed this during the “Orientation for Media Practitioners on the Reporting and Coverage of Children” attended by Cebu-based media on Friday, with officials from the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) leading the briefing and distributing a manual to participants.
“Using children as content in social media can lead to several potential issues, including privacy concerns such as sharing images or videos without consent when they’re older. Emotional impact where children may feel objectified or embarrassed by past posts. Exploitation where parents profit from children’s images or videos without their future consent,” CWC information officer Joanna Camille Jacinto-Lizardo said.
“If you have concerns about specific situations, you can reach out to local authorities or organizations that specialize in child welfare and online safety. We encourage the citizens to report cases of child abuse and exploitation in whatever form to existing structures like the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children and Women, the RCWC, KBP, child rights advocates or champions, and the MAKABATA Helpline 1383,” she added.
According to Jacinto-Lizardo, there are also safety risks involved for increased exposure to potential predators or harassment, with long-term consequences on the impact on children’s self-esteem, mental health, or future online presence.
She suggested several actionable steps that include reorientation on the guidelines and laws that protect the rights of children, the need to review posts and videos on social media, as well as reminders and self-reflection.
Meanwhile, Lucero and the CWC team said that the goal of the orientation and guide for media practitioners is to provide them and social media content creators with clear guidance as they navigate between the exercise of press freedom and deciding on child welfare.
DSWD Central Visayas and the CWC team have since urged media and content creators to adopt the guide as part of editorial policy, news, and content protocols.
They likewise asked the participants to conduct regular in-house training on child-sensitive and trauma-informed reporting and to institutionalize recognition of ethical reporting practices.
