{“lastseen”:”2025-11-19T12:32:36″,”description”:”Let\u2019s be real: the online world is a huge part of our kids\u2019 lives these days. From the time they\u2019re tiny, we share photos, moments, and milestones online\u2014proud parent stuff! Schools, friends, and family all get involved too. Before we know it, our kids have a whole digital history they didn\u2019t even know they were building. Unlike footprints at the beach, this trail never washes away. \\n\\nThat habit even has a name now: **sharenting**. It’s when parents share details of their child\u2019s life online, often without realizing how public or permanent those posts can become. \\n\\n## What exactly is a digital footprint? \\n\\nThink of your child\u2019s digital footprint as the trail they (and you) leave across the internet. It includes every photo, post, comment, and account, plus all the data quietly collected behind the scenes. \\n\\nThere are two sides to it: \\n\\n * **Active footprints:** what you or your child share directly, such as photos, TikTok videos, usernames, or status updates. Even \u201cprivate\u201d posts can be screenshot or reshared. \\n * **Passive footprints:** what gets collected automatically. Cookies, location data, and app activity quietly build profiles of who your child is and what they do. \\n\\n\\n\\nBoth add up to a digital version of your child that can stick around for years. \\n\\n## Why guard your child\u2019s digital footprint like gold? \\n\\nFor kids and teens, their online presence shapes how the world sees them\u2014friends, teachers, even future employers. But it also creates risks: \\n\\n * **Cyberbullying:** once something\u2019s online, it can be copied or mocked. \\n * **Future opportunities:** colleges and jobs may see old posts that no longer reflect who they are. \\n * **Safety concerns:** oversharing locations or routines can make it easier for strangers to find or trick them. \\n * **Identity theft:** birthdates, school names, and addresses can help criminals create fake identities. \\n\\n\\n\\nPracticing good digital hygiene keeps those risks small. \\n\\n## Kids leave hidden trails too \\n\\nKids don\u2019t need social media accounts to leave data behind. Gaming platforms, smartwatches, school apps, and even voice assistants collect fragments of personal information. \\n\\nThat innocent photo from a class project might live in a public gallery. A leaderboard can display a real name or score history. Even nicknames or in-game chat can expose more than intended. \\n\\nHelp your kids check what\u2019s visible publicly and what isn\u2019t. \\n\\n## How sharenting can make it worse \\n\\nDon\u2019t worry, I\u2019ve done some of these too! We love to share and celebrate our kids, but sometimes we give away more than we mean to: \\n\\n * Posting full names, birthdays, and locations on open social media. \\n * Sharing photos with school logos, house numbers, or nearby landmarks visible. \\n * Leaving geotagging or location data on by accident (it\u2019s scary how precise this can be). \\n * Talking about routines, worries, or personal struggles in public forums. \\n * Forgetting to clean up old posts as our kids get bigger. \\n\\n\\n\\nAnd it\u2019s easy to forget about all those apps we sign up to \\”just to try it\\”. They might be collecting info in the background, too. \\n\\n## Two real-life sharenting stories \\n\\nKaren loves her son, Max. She posts his awards, soccer games, and milestones online, sometimes tagging the school or leaving her phone\u2019s location on. \\n\\nIt\u2019s innocent\u2026 until someone strings the details together. A fake gamer profile messages Max: \u201c _Hey, don\u2019t you go to Graham Elementary? I saw your soccer pics!_ \u201d Suddenly, a friendly chat feels personal and real. \\n\\nKaren meant well, but her posts created a map for someone else to follow. \\n\\nThen there\u2019s the story we covered of a mother in Florida who picked up the phone to hear her daughter sobbing. She\u2019d been in a car accident, hit a pregnant woman, and needed bail money right away. The voice sounded exactly like her child. Terrified, she followed the caller\u2019s instructions and handed over $15,000. Only later did she learn her daughter had been safe at work the whole time. Scammers had used AI to clone her voice from a short online video. It\u2019s a chilling reminder that even something as ordinary as a video or social post can become fuel for manipulation. \\n\\n## Simple steps parents can take \\n\\n * **Be a model:** before you post, ask, \u201cWould I be OK with a stranger seeing this?\u201d \\n * **Start young:** teach privacy basics early and update as they grow. \\n * **Lock it down:** review privacy settings together on both your accounts. \\n * **Use pseudonyms:** encourage nicknames for games or public forums. \\n * **Agree as a family:** set boundaries for what\u2019s OK to share. \\n * **Turn off geotags:** remove automatic location data from photos. \\n\\n\\n\\n## Know what to do if something goes wrong \\n\\nEveryone messes up online sometimes. It happens to the best of us. We\u2019ve all shared something we wish we hadn\u2019t. The goal isn\u2019t to scare our kids (or ourselves) away from the internet, but to help them feel confident, safe, and smart about it all. \\n\\nIf your child ever feels uncomfortable or gets into a sticky situation online: \\n\\n * Stay calm and let them know you are safe to talk to. \\n * Keep record of any sketchy messages or harassment. \\n * Use blocking, reporting, and privacy tools. \\n * Loop in school counselors or other trusted adults if you need backup. \\n * If there\u2019s a real threat or criminal activity, contact the proper authorities. \\n\\n\\n\\nYou\u2019ve got this! \\n\\nThe online world is always changing, and honestly, we\u2019re all learning as we go. But by staying curious, keeping the lines open, and setting a good example yourself, you\u2019ll help your kids build a digital life they can be proud of. \\n\\nLet\u2019s look out for each other. If you\u2019ve got thoughts or tips about sharenting and online safety, do share them with me. You can message me on Linkedin at https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mattburgess\/. We\u2019re all in this together. \\n\\n* * *\\n\\n**We don ‘t just report on data privacy\u2014we help you remove your personal information**\\n\\nCybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. With Malwarebytes Personal Data Remover, you can scan to find out which sites are exposing your personal information, and then delete that sensitive data from the internet.”,”published”:”2025-11-19T10:30:05″,”modified”:”2025-11-19T10:30:05″,”type”:”malwarebytes”,”title”:”Sharenting: are you leaving your kids\u2019 digital footprints for scammers to find?”,”source”:””,”references”:””,”id”:”MALWAREBYTES:3007B868E53A9E58C9DF3EDD5FD989BA”,”bulletinFamily”:”blog”,”cwe”:null,”cvelist”:[],”sourceData”:””,”sourceHref”:””,”cvss”:{“score”:0,”severity”:”NONE”,”vector”:”NONE”,”version”:”NONE”},”cvss2″:{},”cvss3″:{“version”:””,”vectorString”:””,”baseScore”:0,”baseSeverity”:””,”attackVector”:””,”attackComplexity”:””,”privilegesRequired”:””,”userInteraction”:””,”scope”:””,”confidentialityImpact”:””,”integrityImpact”:””,”availabilityImpact”:””,”cvssV3″:{“version”:””,”vectorString”:””,”baseScore”:0,”baseSeverity”:””,”attackVector”:””,”attackComplexity”:””,”privilegesRequired”:””,”userInteraction”:””,”scope”:””,”confidentialityImpact”:””,”integrityImpact”:””,”availabilityImpact”:””}},”href”:”https:\/\/www.malwarebytes.com\/blog\/inside-malwarebytes\/2025\/11\/sharenting-are-you-leaving-your-kids-digital-footprints-for-scammers-to-find”,”category_name”:”News”,”post_link”:””,”product”:””,”version”:””,”vendor”:””,”ai_description”:””,”ai_severity”:””,”ai_vendor”:””,”ai_product”:””,”ai_version”:””,”ai_score”:0}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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