South Australian schools are removing identifiable student photographs from Facebook and Instagram as concerns grow over image-scraping, artificial intelligence misuse and the lasting risks of children’s digital footprints.
The move marks a significant change in the way schools share classroom activities, sporting events and award ceremonies, with some institutions deleting archives of older posts and replacing close-up images with distant photographs, crowd scenes or pictures showing students from behind.
Schools are also considering private apps and secure parent portals as alternatives to public social media feeds, where images can be copied, stored and redistributed beyond the institution’s control.
Tyndale Group of Christian Schools is among those adopting the approach. A spokesperson said the group had stopped publishing identifiable student photographs on public social media platforms after reviewing its privacy, consent and digital-safety practices.
“The wellbeing of students is at the heart of every decision we make,” the spokesperson said.
The school said the decision was not prompted by a particular incident, but reflected wider concerns about student privacy and emerging online risks. Families were increasingly aware that images posted online could remain accessible, be downloaded or be altered, it said.
“We believe decisions involving children’s images should be approached carefully and respectfully, with a strong focus on protecting their privacy and digital identity,” the spokesperson said.
Tyndale said it would continue to celebrate pupils’ learning and achievements, but would do so without making individual children identifiable on public platforms. Its published photography policy describes student photographs as personal information and says recordings should be handled with regard to the privacy of pupils and their families.
Schools reassess student images online
The South Australian Department for Education’s current media consent form allows parents to choose between full, partial, limited or no consent for the use of a child’s image, including on public websites and social media. It also warns that removing material after consent has been withdrawn may not always be possible or practical.
South Australian Police has separately urged families to think carefully before sharing school photographs. Superintendent Damien Epps, of the force’s Public Protection Branch, advised parents to obscure school logos and other details that could help build a profile of a child or family.
Schools say existing consent arrangements and privacy settings no longer provide the same reassurance in a digital environment where images can be captured, manipulated and circulated almost instantly.
“Every generation of parents faces new challenges in raising children safely, and schools have a responsibility to respond thoughtfully as those challenges evolve,” the Tyndale spokesperson said.
