Web scraping

Web (or sometimes ‘data’) scraping involves the automated extraction of content and data from the web.

Authorities are reporting an increase in incidents involving web scraping. These incidents particularly occur on social media and other websites that host publicly accessible data and content.

Web scraping allows public content to be collected at scale.

Risks for schools

Images can be collected by third parties that schools may not be able to see, identify or stop. Scraping images from social media or school websites creates privacy risks and potential harms for children and young people and school staff. The images may be:

• used
• misused
• manipulated and used for reasons that were not consented to

Considerations before posting images

Before posting any image online, consider:

• who will be able to see the image and how they could use it
• how to keep control of the image
• whether there is a better way to share the image than on a public site
• whether posting the image could expose a child or young person to any risks or make them vulnerable

Remember, any image publicly published can be copied, downloaded, screenshotted or shared by anyone. These images may be adapted, manipulated and used inappropriately.

Risks of sharing images

Posting images on social media platforms and other websites can make a child more vulnerable. This is particularly the case if an image is shared alongside information such as personal details or location tags.

Posting images online can also impact on a child or young person's digital footprint. The potential risks of digital exposure can last a lifetime. Even if parent or carer consent is granted, young people may not always be comfortable with how their images are portrayed, both now and in the future.

The rise of deepfake technology poses a serious risk in the creation and spread of inappropriate and harmful imagery. Deepfakes use artificial intelligence to generate highly realistic images and videos that can falsely depict individuals in harmful or abusive scenarios.

These images can be digitally altered or manipulated in harmful ways, including the creation of inappropriate or misleading content. In some cases, such content has been used to target individuals or schools through coercive or financially motivated threats. This not only causes immense psychological harm to victims and their families but also complicates legal and safeguarding efforts, as distinguishing real from fake becomes increasingly difficult Schools should be aware of these risks and take steps to minimise exposure.

For further support on using social media schools should use the following guidance.

Practices and principles for schools' use of social media

Further support

Support for learners and their families