Look beyond the subject
Check badges, street names, house numbers, certificates, club kits, reflections and anything that shows a regular route or routine.
BASTIONHOST / PHOTOS, LOCATION & PERSONAL CLUES
PHOTOS, LOCATION & PERSONAL CLUES
Check what a picture says before you share it.
A photo can reveal a school badge, street sign, timetable or live location without anyone typing those details. Teach children to look around the main subject and keep sharing limited to people they actually know.
START HERE
Set the boundary before you test it.
Do not make the lesson that photographs are dangerous. Help the child enjoy creating and sharing while learning that a picture can carry more information than the thing they meant to show.
Review camera and app access
Decide which apps need camera, photo-library and precise-location permission. Remove access that is not needed for the child's normal use.
Share with known people
Private settings reduce exposure but do not stop screenshots or resharing. Keep younger children's sharing within a known family or friend group.
PRACTICAL SETUP
Work through the real account and device.
Do not rely on what a parent dashboard appears to show. Apply the control, then check the result while signed in as the child.
Review camera, photo and location permissions
Open the privacy settings on the child's device. Give camera and photo access only to apps that need it, and remove precise location where it adds no useful function.
Check whether the camera records location
Decide whether location should be attached to new photos. Remember that a platform may remove some metadata while the visible background can still reveal where the picture was taken.
Make a background-check habit
Before sharing, look at each corner of the image. Crop or retake pictures that show a school, home address, travel document, timetable, club or another child's personal details.
Limit who can see and contact
Set the account to the smallest useful audience. Review followers together and restrict comments, tags, mentions and direct messages where the service allows it.
Ask before sharing other people
A family rule should protect everyone in the picture. Ask permission before posting a friend, sibling or adult, and accept no as a complete answer.
Use shared albums for family pictures
For younger children, a private family album or message to known relatives is usually more suitable than a public account. Still check who remains in the album.
Test with an ordinary photo
Take a harmless picture together. Check its visible clues, location information, intended audience and whether the child can explain why they chose to share or keep it private.
TEN-MINUTE TEST
Check what your child actually sees.
- Only necessary apps can use the camera and photo library
- Precise location is off where it is not needed
- The child checks badges, signs, addresses and reflections
- Followers or viewers are people the family can place
- Comments, tags and messages match the child's readiness
- The child asks before sharing someone else's picture
The family rule
Before sharing a picture, check the people, background, location and audience. If the photo reveals where someone lives, learns or goes regularly, keep it private or retake it.
What the settings cannot promise
Private accounts and removed location data do not stop screenshots, resharing or visible clues in the image. Review settings after app updates and keep the conversation focused on good judgement rather than perfect control.
Current official instructionsApple control of app access to information ↗Google Family Link app permissions ↗Internet Matters guide to protecting personal information ↗
Written by Kevin Turnbull. Last reviewed 21 August 2026. Services, settings and menu names change. Check the current official instructions while applying this guide. This is practical parent-to-parent guidance, not emergency safeguarding advice. Find UK help and reporting services.
PARENT-WRITTEN GUIDANCE
Look around the picture, not only at it.
Photo privacy becomes easier when the check is routine. Background, location, people and audience are four questions a child can learn to use every time.
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