Faced with the risk of overexposure on social networks, the deputies voted for better protection of children, even against the advice of parents.
by IM with AFP
© David HANISCH / MAXPPP / PHOTOPQR/L’EST REPUBLICAIN/MAXPP
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FFaced with the excesses of some parents, who excessively expose their children on social networks, often without their consent, the National Assembly adopted on Monday March 6 at first reading a bill aimed at better protecting their image rights. The text, carried by the Macronist deputy Bruno Studer (Renaissance) and supported by the government, was adopted unanimously in a rare consensual climate in the hemicycle. It must now be considered in the Senate.
It introduces the notion of the child’s “private life” into the definition of parental authority in the Civil Code, to underline the parents’ duty to respect it. And specifies that the image rights of minors are exercised jointly by both parents, taking into account the opinion of the child.
If there is a disagreement between parents, the text provides that the judge may prohibit one of them “from publishing or distributing any content without the authorization of the other”.
“Making Parents Accountable”
In serious cases of violation of dignity, the text opens the way “to a forced delegation of parental authority”, giving the possibility to a judge to entrust the exercise of the right to the image of the child to a third.
This law aims to “empower parents”, but also to show minors that “parents do not have an absolute right over their image”, argued MP Studer.
According to figures quoted by parliamentarians and the executive, a child appears on average “in 1,300 photographs published online before the age of 13” and “50% of the photographs which are exchanged on child pornography forums had initially been posted by parents on their social networks.
READ ALSOSocial networks: towards compulsory parental consent for children under 15Associations denounce abuses, such as those of family “vlogs” (video blogs) kept by parents racing for “likes” by exposing the privacy of their children, sometimes in search of advertising revenue. Until resorting to degrading stagings, such as those of the “Cheese Challenge”, viral on TikTok, consisting in throwing a slice of melted cheese in the face of a baby and filming his reaction.
Certain images of children can lead to “cyberbullying” or to “compromising their credibility for future school or professional applications”, also underlined the Minister of Justice Éric Dupond-Moretti, who gave his support “with strength and conviction to the text.
The latter is an extension of a law on “child influencers” passed in 2020 by Parliament, already supported by MP Studer, to regulate the hours and income of minors whose image is broadcast on platforms. video.