Sharing Photos and Personal Info — What's Safe, What's Not

Think about the last group photo you were in. Did the person who took it ask before they posted it? According to researchers, about 1 in 4 teens have had a photo of them shared online without their permission. Once a picture is out there, you completely lose control of it. It can be screenshotted, saved, and re-shared forever, by anyone. That’s why what you share, and how you share it, matters so much.

Every photo you take with your phone contains hidden information called metadata, or EXIF data. This can include the exact GPS location where the photo was taken, the time, and the type of phone you used. If you post a photo taken at home, you could be sharing your address without realizing it.Once you send a photo to even one person, it's no longer yours to control. They can screenshot it, forward it, or post it. This is especially risky with personal or intimate photos. You might feel pressured to send one, but here’s the real talk:It can have legal consequences. In many places, sharing intimate images of minors is a crime, even if the person in the photo sent it willingly. Both the sender and the sharer can get in trouble.Pressure is a red flag. Someone saying “If you trusted me, you’d...

Camila (13) was at a birthday party and took a great group photo. Everyone looked happy, so she posted it right away. A few minutes later, she got a text from her friend Nia (12), who was in the picture. Nia was upset because she wasn't wearing her hijab in the photo and never wanted an image like that to be public. Camila’s stomach dropped. She hadn't even thought to ask. She deleted the post immediately and sent Nia a long apology, promising to ask first next time. She realized that consent wasn't just a suggestion, it was a rule she had to follow for her friends.