'Sharenting' Exposes Children To Online Threats

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 (Bernama) – The practice of ‘sharenting’ exposes children to online risks and raises concerns under Child Act 2001, which prioritises the protection of children’s privacy, safety and well-being.

Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) chairman Rafiq Razali in a statement today said that parents and guardians were fundamentally responsible for ensuring that their children’s rights, including dignity and safety, were not compromised by online activities.

“We often teach children to be cautious online, but parents may unknowingly undermine these lessons.

“Oversharing, even with good intentions, can jeopardise our children’s safety, privacy, and emotional well-being. We must stop and think before hitting the ‘post’ button, because the Internet never forgets,” he said.

The term ‘sharenting’ combines the words sharing and parenting. It refers to the phenomenon of parents sharing photos, videos and other personal information about their children on their social media accounts.

CMCF chief executive officer Mediha Mahmood, in the same statement, said the opportunity to generate income through digital content also increased the risks of exploitation, overexposure, and misuse of children’s personal information.

“When parents, teachers, or guardians prioritise profit over the well-being of children, the society must step up to advocate for stronger protection to safeguard their rights and dignity,” she said.

CMCF supports the statement made by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil on Tuesday regarding the risks of sharenting, which have become increasingly concerning, as parents unknowingly expose their children to online threats by sharing personal information and content about them.

This is because these risks are not merely theoretical; online crimes involving children, such as identity theft and online grooming, are on the rise worldwide.

“To address these challenges, CMCF continues to collaborate with tech platforms, educators, parents, and civil society organisations to raise awareness and provide tools to protect children’s online safety,” the statement said.

Among the initiatives implemented are workshops and training programmes for parents and educators to understand the risks of oversharing and adopt safer online habits, as well as partnerships with platforms like TikTok, META and Google to enhance privacy tools and strengthen safety mechanisms for families.

CMCF has also launched advocacy campaigns through public initiatives like #ThinkTwice, which promotes media literacy and responsible content sharing.

-- BERNAMA