Digital kidnapping

Not to be confused with identity theft, the use of another person's identity for personal advantage.

Digital kidnapping is the theft of a minor's photos, posing as them, or posing as their parents.[1] DK is commonly done to reveal private or sensitive information that negatively impacts the child's life, making it difficult to gain acceptance to college, or subjecting them to bullying. In rare cases, a kidnapper may assume the identity of a parent, making the impostor's followers believe that they are the child's parent. By posing as a peer or authority figure, adults may also gather information about minors, and use it in real world crimes, such as kidnapping.[2][3]

## Punishment

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In the United States, the act of reposting photos is legal, and does not lead to punishment. However the misappropriation of name or likeness is illegal, or can result in a lawsuit.[4] In addition to this, it is illegal to publish private facts, such as addresses and birthdates, under the Publication of Private Facts law.[5]

## See also

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* Sharenting
* Identity Theft
* Social Media
* Kidnapping

## References

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1. ^ "The Growing Threat to Your Kids Online". ParentMap. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
2. ^ Gallagher, Sean (2014-11-20). "12-year-old's online life brings an abductor to her doorstep". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 2014-11-21. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
3. ^ Samantha Murphy Kelly (15 May 2019). "Virtual kidnappings are rattling families across the US". CNN. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
4. ^ "Using the Name or Likeness of Another | Digital Media Law Project". www.dmlp.org. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
5. ^ "Publication of Private Facts | Digital Media Law Project". www.dmlp.org. Retrieved 2020-03-06.