The Criminogenic Potential of Sharenting and the Utility of Digital Platform Remediations

• In Event: Cybercrimes Against People: Predictors and Policy Implications

Abstract

Sharenting occurs when parents or other adults publicly share private information of children in their care on online platforms. Much of this practice may be driven by contemporary social networking trends and done in good faith. But commonly cited risks include the exposure of affected children to identity fraud, cyber hate, grooming, and child abuse. This paper draws on an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) project that used the crime proofing of legislation approach to unravel the nature and scope of self-regulatory measures introduced by five mainstream social media platforms to mitigate the risks of online practices including sharenting. Crime proofing analysis involved in-depth evaluation of platform regulations to unravel preventative measures and criminogenic opportunities. Drawing on insights distilled from the ESRC project, this paper reveals loopholes in current self-regulatory measures. Through its analysis of the criminogenic potential of sharenting and the limitations of current platform remediations, the paper expands the extant literature on digital ethics and provides a new criminological perspective on the nexus of digital harms and the self-regulatory practices of platform companies.

Authors

• Pamela Ugwudike, University of Southampton

• Anita Lavorgna, University of Southampton

• Morena Tartari, University of Southampton