To get the school involved

[Helpmebestylish]

My child started secondary in September.(12 going on 13. We are in Ireland.)
They have made a few new friends. Lots of kids from different primary schools.
My child walks to school and is getting paranoid because some of the kids(that came from the other primary schools) who get the school bus are taking photos of her and her new friends and posting them on the class Whatsapp group.
Some of my daughters friends from primary went to different schools and my daughters photo has popped up on their new friends Whatsapp groups as well. Obviously the photos are being sent to old friends and the kids and trying to figure out who knows who. It's not only when she is going to school. There has been photos when she's been out with myself, at playground with younger siblings even with family in McDonald's.
She is getting paranoid that she can't go anywhere and someone is taking her photo in secret and sharing it online.
Should I mention it to the school.
As it's secondary and there is lots of new kids I don't know these new parents. I have messaged the parents of the kids from primary as the old class group chat is still active and a few of them have said it's happening to their kids as well.

Is this what kids do now or should I highlight it?
I find it very creepy

This is why children shouldn’t have WhatsApp. I would contact the school but not sure they can do when it is happening out of school and nothing illegal.
I would delete your DD from WhatsApp.

I have teens and I haven't heard of this happening. Yes, I would mention it to the school.

Even if dd deletes Whatsapp it's still going to happen. The only difference is she won't see the photo but that won't stop other kids telling her.

I was going to contact the school as it's mostly photos of her walking to and from school in her uniform and the photos are being taken as the school bus is passing her.

I'm also in Ireland. I would definitely bring it to the school.

I would definitely talk to school.
This is not actually a safeguarding issue etc but it is as you say a bit creepy and they shouldn't be posting photos of kids without permission.
They DEFINITELY shouldn't be posting pics of younger siblings at the playground.

I think the school would act, talk to the kids and give them a talk about what they can and can't post

Speak to be person in the school who is responsible for safeguarding as s/he can talk to the children taking the photos, explain the effects and stop it happening.

Also in Ireland with kids in secondary and I’d definitely talk to the school.

Taking photos in a public place are not a safeguarding issue or even illegal even if of a child.

Speak to school about their rules around Whatsapp otherwise she needs to do some detective work and figure out who was where and likely to have taken photos or take some photos of others to work out who it is. May be a lonely child trying to pretend they have friends?

Teacher here. We definitely would want to know about this if the group chat is based on the membership of our school. We'd do some PSHE on privacy, cyber bullying and how these things can escalate. I know the current pics are in public and not a danger as such but if they're new to secondary it might be the first time a lot of them have their own phones out and about and are not really aware of how it can feel to be on the wrong end of a widely shared image if its embarrassing or unflattering or whatever.