In our digitally-obsessed age, it comes as no surprise to see endless images of your friend's and family member's offspring as you scroll through your social media newsfeed.
While the vast majority simply garner a like or two before being pushed aside in favour of the latest viral video, police in Germany feel there are significant implications to indulging in the practice.
Urging parents to protect their child's privacy, the Nordrhein-Westfalen Hagen Police have issued a warning on Facebook which has since gone viral.
They accompanied a photo of a little girl whose face has been obscured with the words: "Please stop posting pictures of your children on Facebook and other social media where everyone can see them. Thanks!"
"Your children have a right to privacy too," they reminded million of parents worldwide in the post which has been shared almost a quarter of a million times.
Explaining the motivation behind the upload, the force touches on the various reasons why they feel abstaining from the practice is one of the easiest ways to protect your children.
"Your child may even be bullied with the pictures. Or, worse: Paedophiles may use the pictures for their own purposes or publish them on other site," they explained.
Reminding parents of the dangers associated with allowing their child's image to be circulated online, they continued: "Pictures of children should never be posted on social media, because the internet never forgets."
The police force encouraged family members to bond over the images in person, saying: "It’s much nicer anyway to talk and smile about them together."
What do you think?
