To want people to stop using pictures of my DC as "stickers"

[wowihaveagardennow]

On WhatsApp there is a function that turns ordinary photos into "stickers". For example, a picture of a baby in the park can be cut out so that all the background is removed and it's just the picture of the baby itself on its own. It can then be used like you would use emojis.

My younger sister (35 y/o - age given to help with context ie. she is not so young that she won't understand why I'm unhappy about it) has been making about 10 different ones all of my DC who is nearly a year old. Then she uses them instead of 😭😩😂 etc. in all sorts of group chats. I believe most are with family and probably none with people I don't already know. I have now heard some of my cousins also use these stickers who I see maybe 4 or 5 times a year if that. But I just feel uncomfortable about it. AIBU to want her to stop?

I feel like we live in an age where we can't control who has photos of our children. I use Facebook and Instagram (albeit not often) but have chosen not to post any photos of my DC there, and generally don't have many photos of myself or DH there either

Just tell her to stop.

I don't understand why you wouldn't just ask her to stop?

I do this with my pet, because it's funny. I would 100% ask someone to stop if it was pics of my kids. You are not being unreasonable in the slightest.

That is a bit odd when its not your child. But surely you just ask her not to use their picture in this way....... I'm sure she can find a different child or pet to use instead.

How do you do this. I would love to make my dog a sticker!

Just talk to her - she may well think it’s a lovely thing and nice to be using pics of your children. My teens often make stickers of each other and their friends and send them flying around - they do funny ones of themselves etc. (It could obv be done in a bad way but I’ve only ever seen them do it very much on their own terms).

So talk to her, on the assumption that she thinks she’s likely honouring your kids or being nice and friendly - just say you’d rather not as they’re young and while you’re ok with family photos, stickers tend to just get sent around and it makes you uncomfortable.

She’s just trying to be funny. Its pretty harmless if it’s just family but just use your words if you can’t live with it 🤷🏻‍♀️ what do you want us to say?

I'm just trying to find out. I want to make my cats into stickers

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph9b4106303/ios

a) tell her to stop
b) stop letting her have pictures
c) tell relatives that if they pass pictures on they aren't getting any either
d) relax, your baby will look a lot different soon, and will be unrecognisable

So you mean your family, who you've given access to the photos to, is doing it. Not people.
I don't know anybody over the age of about 15 who makes stickers anyway, but just tell your family to not to do it, and then don't give them access to any more photos.

Are you aware that there are people who copy the photos of children from social media accounts and photoshop them into child abuse images? So your child's face could be a peodophile's wank material. That's the big reason to be cautious about sharing your child's photo.

The other reason is that they can't consent yet - how would they feel about their picture being used in place of a crying emoji - kind of humiliating really, and totally out of their hands.

@climb12sides The op's sister is sending them to family not selling them to paedophiles. Bit of a fucking leap there

Just ask her to stop if it makes you feel uncomfortable.

I do love this facility though - I have a sticker of my DS12's face in a right grump which I take great delight in sending him if he is being a bit of a dick about something.

If it's just within a family chat that's absolutely something I would do for my nieces and nephews, as would my other siblings.

Wow that's great parenting.

Oh, do jog on. It's a joke between my DS and me.

@BreakfastAtMimis it sounds hilarious and exactly the type of thing my parents would do with me

Blimey! Alert social services, mum teases son.

Well first thing is to ask her to stop. Obviously the pictures you have already sent are now not under your control.
Before sending or sharing any more photos of your children recognise that this is part of the choice to do so. Even within family there can be people who do stuff you don't agree with, and some who don't listen even when you say you don't like it. Unfortunately that's just the way things are, you can't control people.

Best call social services, how dare she joke with her child 🙄

Things spread though.

Her sister has sent them to some cousins, a cousin might use it with a friend or inlaw, they then use it with someone else etc etc.

Op obviously needs to speak to her sister and possibly stop sending her photos or ask her not to take photos of the baby. I think sadly some people just aren't very aware about child safety issues especially regarding the Internet, my SIL (same age as your sister) is woefully uneducated about Internet safety and plasters stuff about her kids everywhere on public profiles. I've tried to tell her but she doesn't seem to care, so all I've been able to do is tell her she's not allowed to put any photos of my children as that's the only part I can really control.

If this is effectively the disembodied face of a baby, the pictures won't be identifiable.