Together we have co-written a blog about mothering and writing since 2011 and we continue enjoying the twists and turns of thinking through sharing, disclosure and self-censoring in digital writing situations. As feminists, we are grappling with ways to invoke privacy values and boundary setting in a liberatory tradition that celebrates the female voice and the possibilities of self-expression.

As teachers / writers / scholars, we have a longstanding interest in the reflective, educative, and revelatory nature of personal writing. Does writing a parenting blog necessitate presenting news about close relations and relationships? What is frank and fair and what constitutes stepping over the line in talking about others? What are dangers of unsanctioned digital talk? Are there measures or flexible standards to guide how much to reveal about self and others, and how do these questions play out for bloggers with an online presence?
Oversharing still a concern amid data privacy breach of Analytica and Facebook



Concerns have been raised this past week by experts about the amount of information being collected and dispersed by a few giant internet companies after widespread reports that U.K. - based Cambridge Analytica used data from more than 50 million Facebook accounts to influence the 2016 USA presidential election.  

Folks are also starting to wonder how secure their personal information is on social media networks. News reports claim that it increasingly depends on where people live and access the web on the planet. Keeping ones privacy online is no longer - and may never have been -  easy, if at all possible. 

While there are articles that provide users with advice and guidelines on how to use the internet in ways that protect the personal privacy of users many people still give away personal information about themselves and often about their children through their blogs and online posts. 

At this time of being sensitive to what is being posted online - pediatricians, researchers, and advocates are developing a public health campaign that addresses sharenting concerns. They remind bloggers to adopt a “child-centered perspective” because there are no legal policies in place that offer our youth a way to address conflicts that arise from sharenting. They note, "it’s up to the next generation of parents to reform digital habits to ensure that their children can exercise their privacy rights, freely define their personalities, and evolve their digital footprints on their own terms."

It's imperative that parents be aware of and attentive to the impact that social sharing has on the children of parents who’ve become so accustomed to freely distributing intimate details of their children's lives. 

While the GDPR “right to be forgotten” provision applies directly to this principle in the EU, the US and Canada do not have such laws in place. Under the GDPR “right to be forgotten” provision individuals (including infants and children) have a right to request their personal information be scoured from search engine results. It is up to parents at this point to protect the privacy of their babies and children, when over 90% of 2 year-olds in the US had an online presence as of 2010. 









 
Fiona Green
... is a feminist mother, Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Winnipeg, and loves to cycle.
Jaqueline McLeod Rogers
... is a mom of two young adult daughters. I received a Ph. D. for studying fiction by women, and have always worked full time as a professor with an interest in writing and women’s experiences.
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