Meghan Markle's Way of Sharing Child Photos Online Isn't Risk-Free

Meghan Markle has once again shared carefully curated glimpses of her family life online, posting two new photographs to mark Princess Lilibet's fifth birthday-while continuing to conceal her daughter's face.

The Duchess of Sussex has taken a similar approach since returning to Instagram in 2025, sharing images of her children without fully revealing their identities.

The decision, however, has sparked debate, particularly given Meghan's previous warnings during her Geneva speech in May about the risks social media poses to children.

Addressing criticism, a spokesperson for Meghan previously told Newsweek: "The Duchess has always been clear that there is a distinction between sharing moments from her life and exposing her children to public scrutiny. By obscuring their faces, she is demonstrating the very principle she advocates for: giving children privacy, agency, and protection in an increasingly digital world.

“Far from being contradictory, by concealing their faces she is actually reflecting the message she delivered in Geneva: that parents can choose to share family experiences while still taking deliberate steps to protect identities, privacy, and digital footprint."

Experts say this approach can offer some level of protection-but warn it is far from a complete solution.

Dr. Sasha Hall, senior educational child psychologist and founder of Hall & Co Educational Psychology Services, told Newsweek that hiding a child's face "can offer an additional layer of protection and is certainly more protective than sharing fully identifiable images." However, she warned that online safety is not absolute, adding that obscuring facial features "does not eliminate" risk.

Instead, the wider context of an image often matters more. She pointed out that identification rarely depends on a single factor, and that details such as uniforms, local landmarks, family connections and repeated locations can all make a child recognizable when combined.

Hall emphasized that while there is no single "right" approach for families, the focus should be broader than simply hiding a face. "Rather than focusing solely on whether a face is visible, parents may benefit from thinking about what information the image reveals and whether their child might be comfortable with it remaining online in years to come," she said.

Dr. Martha Deiros Collado, a clinical psychologist and family therapist, author of The Smartphone Solution and How to Be the Grown Up, echoed that view, saying obscuring a child's face can improve safety-but may do little for privacy.

"It can improve children's safety online if you blur the face on the photo itself but it might not do much for their privacy," she told Newsweek, explaining that images still carry contextual information that contributes to a child's digital footprint.

Deiros Collado added that concerns around artificial intelligence are also influencing parents' decisions. While blurring a child’s face can help prevent misuse of their image, she said parents should be aware of broader risks, including the potential for images to be manipulated or used in ways they did not intend.

The long-term impact of sharing children's images online is another growing concern. Hall warned that children may "inherit a digital identity they had no role in creating," while Deiros Collado said they could grow up feeling "exposed or embarrassed" by content shared on their behalf.

According to Deiros Collado, before sharing pictures of their children online, parents should ask themselves three crucial questions: "Will my child be happy about this image/story being public in 5 years' time? Who benefits when I share this image and/or story of my child? And, is this something I am comfortable with remaining online forever? (will my child feel the same?)."

Hall suggested that as children grow older, it is important to involve them in decisions about what is shared online and to respect their wishes where possible.

"This principle also extends to schools," she said, adding that many schools often ask parents to provide consent for photographs to be used on websites, social media channels and promotional materials.

"It is important that families feel able to decline consent without concern that this will affect their child's opportunities, inclusion or participation in school activities. A child's experience at school should never be determined by a parent's decision about image sharing."

For high-profile families like Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, the stakes may be even higher. Hall noted that children of public figures are "more likely to attract widespread attention and be shared beyond the original audience," while Deiros Collado said the risks are "amplified" due to increased scrutiny and visibility.

Ultimately, experts agree that obscuring a child's face is only one part of a much wider issue. As Hall put it, "Children only get one childhood, and protecting their privacy today helps preserve their ability to make their own choices about their digital identity in the future."

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 1:12 PM.