Privacy and Inclusion in the Age of AI
Thank you to everyone who has supported and shared this petition.
Since this petition was launched, concerns about children's images being shared online have become increasingly prominent. Schools, parents, privacy experts and government agencies are increasingly discussing the risks associated with social media, artificial intelligence, deepfakes and children's digital footprints.
At the same time, some schools are demonstrating that there are practical alternatives.
Earlier this year, Perth's St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls announced it would remove identifiable student images from its public social media channels and instead use alternative imagery and family-access channels for sharing photographs.
This petition has never been about preventing schools from taking photographs or celebrating student achievements.
Many parents are comfortable with their children being included in school photographs, classroom activities and school communication platforms with restricted access for families. While no platform is entirely risk-free, there is a significant difference between sharing information within a controlled school community and publishing a child's image on public-facing platforms.
Parents should be able to decline public sharing of their child's image without their child being excluded from the school environment. A child should not be removed from group photographs, class activities, or opportunities to be included with their peers because a parent declines consent for public image sharing.
Privacy and inclusion should not be mutually exclusive.
Thank you for your continued support. Please continue sharing this petition to encourage fairer, more balanced consent practices in WA schools.
Further Reading:
• St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls (Perth)
Digital Wellbeing: Protecting Student Privacy in the Age of AI
https://www.sthildas.wa.edu.au/news/digital-wellbeing/
• The West Australian
St Hilda's removes students' photos from social media to help prevent deepfake abuse
https://thewest.com.au/news/education/st-hildas-anglican-school-for-girls-removes-students-photos-from-social-media-to-prevent-deepfake-abuse-c-21440176
• ABC News
Brisbane school restricts identifiable student photos on social media amid AI concerns
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-19/qld-school-restricts-photos-of-students-social-media/106470556
• eSafety Commissioner
Deepfake damage in schools: How AI-generated abuse is disrupting students, families and school communities
https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/blogs/deepfake-damage-in-schools-how-ai-generated-abuse-is-disrupting-students-families-and-school-communities
• ABC News
AI-generated deepfake pornography affecting Australian students and teachers
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-13/ai-generated-deepfake-pornography-school-students-teachers/103969414
• ABC News
Sydney high school investigates alleged deepfake images of female students
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-09/sydney-high-school-deepfake-images-other-students/104799338