Exploring the dark side of child influencers, discussing parental control of minors' online image, laws in the U.S. and Australia, brands' responsibility, platforms' reluctance to remove accounts, and the #SaveWren movement.
Posting children online as 'child influencers' can lead to exploitation by online predators.
Existing laws and regulations fail to adequately protect child influencers from potential harm and exploitation online.
Deep dives
Jacqueline Paul's Start on TikTok
Jacqueline Paul began posting content of her daughter Ren on TikTok when the child was less than a year old. Initially, she claimed she did this to create a digital scrapbook of memories for her daughter. However, as the account gained over four million followers early on, Jacqueline, a single mother, saw the opportunity to turn it into a source of income. Despite not fitting the usual profile of a mommy vlogger, Jacqueline's account for her daughter raised concerns about the exploitation of children online.
Concerns and Red Flags Raised
While Jacqueline's content started innocently portraying day-to-day activities of her daughter, Ren's account garnered a vast following leading to concerns raised by viewers and users. Comments and saved videos underlined potential inappropriate engagement with the child's content. Despite no evidence of explicit exploitation, the content posted triggered worries about the child's safety and exposure to online predators, prompting discussions on the responsibility of parents and social media platforms.
Legal and Ethical Issues in Child Influencer Accounts
The scrutiny of children's accounts raised significant questions about existing laws and regulations protecting child influencers. Loopholes in platforms' age-gating policies allowed parents like Jacqueline to skirt rules despite concerns about the child's wellbeing. The lack of specific laws governing child influencers' compensation and exposure online highlighted a pressing need for legal frameworks to shield vulnerable minors from potential exploitation.
Impact and Call for Greater Protection
The aftermath of the #SaveRen movement and the broader discussion surrounding child influencers underscored the urgent demand for enhanced protection measures. Cases like Ruby Frankie's arrest and the HeyAlam family's decision to end their family channel highlighted the ethical dilemmas and financial motivations surrounding children in online content. The gray areas and profit-driven approaches underline the need for increased safeguards to prioritize children's safety over online fame and monetization.
In this week's episode, I explore the very dark consequences of putting children online. I specifically focus on children whose parents post on their behalf— turning them into 'child influencers.' I look at how posting content of minors online relinquishes control of their image & how that can end up in the wrong hands. I finish by diving into the laws in both the U.S. and Australia that do or do not protect children on social media.