KUALA LUMPUR - The use of children as content on social media without their consent violates their privacy rights and can lead to long-term negative psychological effects, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) said today.
Protect and Save the Children (PS The Children) reiterated in a statement today that children have a fundamental right to privacy as outlined in Article 16 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that protects them from arbitrary interference with their personal lives and ensures their dignity is upheld.
"The norm of placing "children under the gaze" of public scrutiny compromises their rights to privacy and bodily autonomy.
"Non-consensual sharing of photos and videos not only impacts their self-perception but also teaches them that they lack control over their own images and narratives,” the NGO said.
PS The Children also voiced its concerns about the prevalence of children being used as content for social media postings particularly on Tiktok as it not only compromises the child’s personal privacy and autonomy but also poses significant risks related to normalisation of grooming behaviours.
The NGO also stressed that the importance of addressing issues surrounding the safety, privacy and autonomy of children and adults needed to set positive examples regarding personal boundaries by encouraging children to practise asserting their boundaries and ensure they understood that they should not be shamed or penalised for saying no to adults.
"We call upon our community to speak out against inappropriate behaviours towards children.
"It is imperative that we create an environment where children feel safe and valued, and where their rights are respected," PS The Children added.
The NGO also urged Malaysians to advocate against sexual and sexist jokes directed at children, as highlighted by the #MakeSchoolASafePlace campaign led by Ain Husniza. - BERNAMA