According to a survey by Ururu, more than 90% of parents post photos of their children on social networking services and take privacy measures and considerations into account. The trigger was "news about malicious crimes against children" at 60%.

～Enphoto Conducts Survey on Parents' Awareness of Privacy Protection Concerning Posting of Children's Photos on SNS

- The following is content from the press release -

(Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Tomoya Hoshi), a leading company in solving labor shortage issues and developing multiple SaaS services, conducted the "En-Photo" online photo sales service for preschools and kindergartens, targeting 171 parents who have preschool children and have posted photos of their children on SNS. (Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Tomoya Hoshi), an online photo sales service for preschools and kindergartens, conducted a "Survey on Parents' Awareness of Privacy Protection Regarding SNS Posting of Children's Photos.

https://en-photo.net/

Survey Summary

Research Background

Increasingly, social networking services are being used for the purpose of gathering and exchanging information, even for child-rearing. According to a survey* conducted by Enphoto in December 2023, those who answered that they do not consult either or both of their own parents or parents-in-law about child-rearing indicated that the most common method of gathering information on child-rearing was "Internet" (40.61 TP6T), followed by "SNS" (38.81 TP6T). The most common method of gathering information on child-rearing was "Internet" (40.6%) followed by "SNS" (38.8%). SNS was also used most frequently to share updates on children, including photos, with parents and parents-in-law, indicating that SNS is a communication tool that parents can easily use when raising their children. On the other hand, posting photos of children on social networking services is fraught with risk, and may even lead to malicious crimes against children. En-Photo" therefore conducted a survey on parents' awareness of privacy protection regarding the posting of their children's photos on SNS.

*[Survey on information gathering on child rearing and differences in values with the generation of parents]: https://www.uluru.biz/news/12859

results (of a study)

Result 1

When asked about whether they post photos of their own children on social networking services (excluding LINE), more than 30% (36.3%) responded, "I did in the past, but not currently. This was followed by "once every 2~3 months" (18.7%) and "once a week" (14.6%).

Result 2

As for the reason for posting photos of their own children on SNS, 60% (60.2%) answered, "To tell family members, friends, and acquaintances about their children's updates and growth. More than half (54.4%) also chose "to keep a record of my child's growth.

Result 3

About 60% (59.1%) of the respondents answered that they were "able to tell friends and acquaintances about their children's updates and growth, creating opportunities for communication," which was higher than the percentage of "able to tell grandparents and other family members about their children's updates and growth, creating opportunities for communication" (32.2%), This result is higher than that of "I was able to communicate with grandparents and other family members about my child's progress and growth" (32.2%).

When we asked those who chose "other" an open-ended question, we received responses such as, "When my child became ill, there were many people who gave me a lot of advice and thought together about what to do in the future," and "I started contacting my estranged friends because of their responses.

Result 4

Regarding privacy measures and considerations when posting photos of their own children on social networking sites, more than 90% (91.81 TP6T) responded that they take privacy measures and considerations.

Result 5

When asked what privacy measures and considerations they take when posting photos of their children on social networking services, half (50.31 TP6T) of the respondents answered, "Restrict the public range of the account. A close second was "Do not post photos that show a lot of exposed skin, such as naked or in underwear (including diapers)" (48.51 TP6T), followed by "Do not include location information to prevent people from identifying my address or location" (45.01 TP6T).

Result 6

To those who answered, "I take some privacy measures or considerations when posting photos of my children on SNS.

When asked about the reasons for this, the most common response was "Because I think it is natural to take privacy measures and care" (56.1%). This was followed by "Because posted photos cannot be undone (considering the impact of digital tattoos on children's future)" (54.4%) and "Because of the possibility of being involved in crimes such as kidnapping or stalking" (53.8%). More than half of the respondents also chose "because of the risk of the photo being reproduced without permission or used for child pornography" (51.5%) and "because of the possibility of infringing on the child's portrait rights or privacy" (50.9%).

Result 7

When those who responded that they take some privacy measures or considerations when posting photos of their children on SNS were asked about the reasons for doing so, "News about malicious crimes against children" accounted for 61.4%, or more than 60% of the responses. This was followed by "articles about the dangers of posting photos of children on SNS" at 52.0%, more than half of the respondents.

Those who selected "other" were asked an open-ended question, and the following responses were received. (excerpts)

• I've seen many tweets on X (formerly Twitter) alerting me to this, so I'm taking it into consideration.
• When the news talks about the abduction of small children. It is too late after something happens, so I try to refrain from posting it on social networking sites, even though I am tempted to do so.
• Since sex education is not yet widespread in Japan, I feel that I, as a parent, must protect my children.
• There was a lot of information about people taking pictures of children around restrooms in shopping malls and around parks and schools, and I knew I had to take measures to prevent the children themselves from being identified on social networking sites.
• We live in an age of established individual rights, including those of children, and I believe that no matter how many parents you are, you should protect the privacy of your children.
• Nowadays, privacy is not a concern, and internet literacy is changing, so I think my children need to be protected.
• The number of incidents involving children in the world

Result 8

When asked about the age at which they started taking some privacy measures and considerations when posting photos of their children on SNS, 71.31 TP6T, or more than 70% of the respondents answered "0 to 1 year old".

Result 9

When those who responded that they "take some privacy measures and considerations when posting photos of their children on social networking services" were asked whether they obtain permission from their children's parents before posting photos of their children's friends on social networking services, more than 80% (86.01% TP6T) responded "Yes, I have obtained permission. When asked if they get permission from the parents before posting photos of their children on social networking sites, more than 80% (86.01 TP6T) answered "Yes.

Result 10

When asked about the reason for this, the most common answer was "Because I think it is natural to ask permission before posting photos of other people, not just children" (63.21 TP6T), followed by "To prevent my friends' faces from being identified and getting into trouble" (52.61 TP6T), followed by "To prevent my friends' faces from being identified and getting into trouble" (63.21 TP6T). More than half (52.6%) of the respondents answered "to avoid getting into trouble with friends or other people whose faces can be identified. Nearly 40% (39.2%) chose "to prevent problems that may lead to interpersonal relationships among parents.

Result 11.

When asked if their child's day-care center or kindergarten uses social networking services and if they post photos of their children, more than 60% (61.41 TP6T) responded that they "do not use social networking services. The results also showed that 19.91% of the respondents who use SNS "post photos of their children with their faces identified" and 11.71% "post photos of their children without their faces identified," indicating that more preschools post photos of their children with their faces identified.

Result 12

As to whether you have permission to post photos of your children on the social networking sites of the preschools that your children attend, please contact us.

More than half (53.8%) responded that they "have permission. While slightly less than 10% (12.9%) responded that they "do not have permission," more than 30% (33.3%) responded that they "have not received permission confirmation in the first place.

Result 13.

When asked what they thought about social networking posts by preschools (including posting photos of preschoolers), regardless of whether they have permission or not, the most common response, 43.3%, was "I think it is OK as long as the preschoolers' personal information is not identified. The next most common response was "It is OK to post photos of preschoolers, but please hide their faces when posting photos" at 24.0%.

The respondents were asked open-ended questions about why they chose the options for the 13 result questions.

＜I don't think it would be a problem as long as the personal information of the preschoolers is not identified.
I think it will help those who are planning to enroll their children in preschool to understand the expressions and atmosphere of the children at the preschool.
I am happy to see my child enjoying himself/herself in public as long as his/her privacy is protected.
I would like to know what is going on at the preschool, and also for my grandparents and relatives to be able to see it. I think it would be good if personal information is not identified.

<You may post, but if you post a picture of a preschooler, please hide his/her face.
I would like to see how things are going at the park, so I would rather you post them, but since this is the age of personal information, please be considerate by refraining from photos that show people's faces or by processing them with stamps or other methods.
I think it is scary that the kindergarten's SNS cannot be saved, but anyone can view it without any restrictions, so there is a fear that their faces could be remembered and they could be involved in an incident. At the very least, I would like to see some kind of restriction, such as limiting the number of people who can see a photo of a student's face to only those who attend the kindergarten.

.
・If you can post the information with restrictions such as "for relatives only", it would only be beneficial for us to know what is going on at the park. I don't want it to be seen by an unspecified number of people, because I don't want to be involved in child pornography, kidnapping, etc.
I appreciate the pictures because my child is still very young and sometimes cannot communicate well about what happened at the kindergarten that day.
I appreciate the fact that I can see what is going on at the preschool through the social networking service of the preschool. I don't think there is a problem because they hide the names, but I would like them to make it so that only people related to the preschool can see it.

<I don't think anything in particular (I don't care)
We honestly do not believe that a photo of a person's face alone will have any impact on his or her life or that of his or her family members.
I'm not that concerned about the dangers.
. if the name doesn't match the face, it doesn't matter.

<If at all possible, please refrain from posting anything that includes pictures of preschoolers.
I don't want to be identified as this child in this park.
Until last year, the daily status was available on the preschool's website for anyone other than the parents to see, and I was very concerned about that. Now, the daily status is available to parents only via an app, so I feel a little safer.

＜I don't even want you to have a social networking account.
I am concerned about my child's picture being shown in any way in the hands of parents other than myself.
Recently, there have been many cases of kidnapping and rape of young children, and I am concerned that my own child might be involved in such cases, so I wonder if not being exposed would still reduce the danger.
We don't want our photos to be misused in a way we don't understand. Because we do not think such a thing would occur if we did not have an account in the first place.

<Others
...In the first place, I think it is an unconscionable action to post without the consent of the parents, even if it is common sense. At the very least, I think consent is necessary.
I think it's a good idea to have a private account so that only people affiliated with the park can see it, and to write a letter to the parents or guardians before posting it on social media. I think it would be good to get confirmation etc. before posting on social networking sites.

consideration

Executive Officer, in charge of Omoide Business Group, URURU Corporation

The most common answer given by parents for what they liked about posting photos of their children on SNS was that it created opportunities for communication by allowing them to tell friends and acquaintances about their children's updates and growth (59.11 TP6T), and more than 30% (32.21 TP6T) said it created the same opportunities for grandparents and other family members. This indicates that posting photos of children on SNS has become an opportunity to communicate with family members, acquaintances, and other close family members.

On the other hand, more than 90% (91.81 TP6T) of the parents actually take privacy measures and considerations when posting photos of their children on SNS, and the most common trigger was "news about malicious crimes against children" (61.41 TP6T). The recent spate of news reports on sexual crimes against children is thought to have increased crime prevention awareness on the part of parents.

In particular, when asked about what privacy measures and considerations they take, nearly half (48.5%) responded that they "do not post photos in which exposed skin such as nudity or underwear (including diapers) is conspicuous," while "do not post photos in which exposed skin such as nudity or underwear (including diapers) is conspicuous by partially covering with a stamp, etc." was selected by less than 10% (9.4%). On the other hand, less than 10% (9.4%) of the respondents answered, "I do not post photos in which skin exposure is conspicuous, such as naked or underwear (including diapers)," indicating that they take thorough security measures by deciding from the outset not to post photos that could easily lead to crimes.

As for the reasons for taking privacy measures and taking care when posting photos of their children on social networking sites, more than half of the respondents chose "Because the posted photo cannot be undone (considering the impact of digital tattoos on the child's future)" (54.4%) and "Because there is a possibility of infringing on the child's portrait rights or privacy" (50.9%), respectively. 9% ), respectively, and the fact that more than 70% (71.3%) of the respondents answered "0~1 years old" with respect to the age of the child at the time they actually started taking privacy measures and considerations, it is not the idea that "it is OK to post on SNS because the child is a baby" but rather "because It is likely that there is a growing awareness that "children have inherent human rights independent of their guardians.

Finally, with regard to SNS posting by day-care centers and kindergartens (including posting of children's photos), while there were positive comments such as "I am happy because I can see the children's daily activities and growth at the preschool," there were also many responses that "I hope that privacy measures and consideration will be taken so that the children's personal information is not identified" as a basic premise. On the other hand, there were a large number of respondents who wanted to have their children's personal information protected. As parents are becoming increasingly aware of the need to protect their children's privacy when posting photos of their children on social networking services, preschools and facilities are expected to have the same level of awareness and response. Some parents and guardians of children enrolled in preschools and related persons only want their children's photos to be made public. We believe that online photo sales services for kindergartens and nursery schools will become an essential service for protecting children.

Survey Summary

• Survey Title: Survey on Parents' Awareness of Privacy Protection Concerning Posting of Children's Photos on SNS
• Surveyed: Parents with preschool children aged 0-6 who have posted photos of their children on social networking services.
• Survey method: Internet survey
• Survey period: February 9 - 18, 2024
• Sample size: 171 persons

Enphoto is an online photo sales service for preschools and kindergartens that has been introduced at more than 4,600 preschools nationwide and used by a cumulative total of approximately 270,000 parents (as of December 31, 2023). By capturing children's experiences, growth, and smiling faces, Photo has contributed to the creation of precious family memories.

We will continue to promote ICT in childcare to cherish children's memories and further expand our services to please all those involved in childcare.

What is Enphoto?

https://en-photo.net/

Bringing more happy memories to families around the world."

Enphoto is an online photo sales service for kindergartens, nursery schools, and parents, where "photo exhibition," "sales," "purchase, and payment" can all be completed on the web.

●Photos of the park can be selected and purchased on the web
The park uploads the photos taken and sends a simultaneous email to the parents notifying them of the photo release. Parents select photos on the web, place an order, and receive the photos within 5 business days. The preschool simply uploads the photos to the website, so there is no need to print or post them at all.

Find your child quickly! Face Recognition Function
The face recognition function allows parents to easily pick up photos of their own children. Authenticated photos can be displayed in priority order, eliminating the need to search for photos.

No need to worry if you don't have a photographer! Enphoto" also dispatches photographers to preschools.
URURU" also operates a crowdsourcing business called "Shufty. We arrange photographers who are crowdsourcers for preschools, so even preschools that do not have a photographer to hire can take cute pictures of children.

Overview of the Ururu Group

Ururu Corporation(in Japanese history)https://www.uluru.biz/)

Established: August 31, 2001
Location: KDX Harumi Building 9F, 3-12-1 Harumi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Tomoya Hoshi

Business Description:
CGS (Crowd Generated Service) business *CGS is URURU's unique business model that utilizes crowd workers.
Telephone answering service "fondeskhttps://www.fondesk.jp/
NJSS, a bidding information bulletin servicehttps://www2.njss.info/
　nSearch*1"https://nsearch.jp/
En-Photo" photo sales system for kindergartens and nursery schoolshttps://en-photo.net/
OurPhoto*2, an on-site photography servicehttps://our-photo.co/

◆Crowdsourcing Business
Operation of the platform "Shufty https://app.shufti.jp/

◆BPO business *3
Comprehensive outsourcing "Ururu BPOhttps://www.uluru-bpo.jp/
Highly accurate AI-OCR service "eashttps://www.uluru-bpo.jp/eas/
Total support service for employment of persons with disabilities "eas nexthttps://lp.uluru-bpo.jp/easnext/

1 Operated by Brainfeed Inc.
2 Operated by OurPhoto Co.
3 Operated by Ururu BPO Inc.

For service inquiries, please contact

URURU Corporation Contact: Tanaka
TEL：03-6221-3064 E-Mail：t_tanaka@uluru.jp