ISLAMABAD: A global cybersecurity company Wednesday warned Pakistanis to safeguard their children’s data while posting photos, videos, or updates about their children on social media platforms to avoid identity theft/social engineering/frauds.
Kaspersky “Growing up online” survey revealed that almost half (48 percent) of parents regularly post photos, videos, or updates about their children on social media platforms. While family content remains popular, privacy settings and motivations behind sharing vary significantly.
The survey results showed that among those who post about their children, 72 percent limit visibility to friends, friends of friends, or followers. However, more than a quarter (28 percent) of surveyed parents maintains fully public accounts, making such content accessible to anyone online.
The main reason parents share content featuring their children is to preserve memories (64 percent), followed by pride in their children’s achievements (42 percent). At the same time, social influence also plays a role: 21 percent admit they post because others do the same, and 20 percent say they like how they appear in the photos or videos. Additionally, 10 percent acknowledge that they share content about their children to attract more followers or increase engagement, believing such posts generate more likes.
Notably, 59 percent of respondents say they ask their children for permission before publishing content about them. However, one in five parents (20 percent) admit they proceed with posting regardless of whether the child agrees, the survey stated.
When parents over share information about their children online, they may unintentionally expose sensitive details such as full names, dates of birth, school locations or daily routines. This information can be exploited for identity theft, social engineering, fraud, or even physical safety risks. Publicly available photos and videos may also be misused, altered, or redistributed without consent, contributing to long-term digital footprint issues and reputational harm.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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