Fears raised over ‘strangers’ taking pictures of kids at county Kilkenny playground

Concerns have been raised about “strangers” taking pictures of young children at the newly opened public playground in Ferrybank.

One mother-of-two took to social media over the weekend to highlight her fears for the safety of children using the new Neighbourhood Park, a joint initiative by Kilkenny and Waterford councils which opened last month.

“We don’t like when strangers are taking pictures of the kids in the playground/park. I hope whoever is doing it will see this post and will stop it. By the law your [sic] not allowed to do that,” she told the Ferrybank Community Newsletter.

The concerned mother’s post got a mixed reaction online, with some people supporting her comments but others who use the park stressing that they only take pictures of their own children and that they intend to continue doing so.

Others questioned the legality of being able to take pictures of children in a public place.

The legal position regarding the taking of pictures of kids or minors in public places is something of a grey area. There are no legal constraints of taking pictures of children in public places, but photographs or images are defined as “data” and can therefore come under the ambit of the Data Protection Act.