互联网不是你的个人相册：保护儿童照片免遭滥用

Babies and toddlers are the most wonderful creatures.

Chubby, soft, cute and without any of the self-consciousness or inhibitions which will one day turn them into sulky teenagers.

So as they explore the world and go on their own little journey of self-discovery they provide parents with endless moments of joy which are perfect for the family album.

But now we are in the 21st century, there is no such thing as the family album.

Photographs rarely make it from camera phone to a physical photograph.

Instead the photo album is Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. With one click of the mouse the adorable picture of your toddler playing in the sand pit for the first time, splashing in the paddling pool, or digging in the soil can be shared with the world in an instant.

Which is exactly what proud mum Courtney Adamo did when she captured the moment her wellie-wearing daughter Marlow lifted up her dress to reveal her gorgeous little pot belly.

Yet just 24-hours later the mum-of-four found that the image had been deleted and her Instagram account shut down as the picture had breached the site's decency rules.

What is the world coming to when a mum can't share a completely innocent picture of her beautiful baby?

Little Marlow wasn't revealing anything other than her perfect belly and her chubby little legs.

Yet it is seemingly fine for celebrities like Rihanna to post suggestive virtually naked pictures of themselves on the site.

Instagram argues that they have to have policies in place to protect young children , but admits that in this case they got it wrong.

Now we all know that the Internet can be a dangerous place. But why should a minority of perverted individuals ruin the fun for the rest of us?

But on the other hand, should we as parents think twice before posting pictures of our kids online?

Somewhere in my mum's attic is an album filled with pictures from family holidays gone by, my sister and I playing happily in the garden in just our bikini bottoms.

All innocent fun, even more so as the only people who are ever likely to see those pictures are family.

Would I share pictures of my half-naked children online? Probably not.

While I agree that the picture of Marlow bearing her belly was totally adorable and Instagram were wrong to take it down, I do think that we as parents have a responsibility to recognise that the Internet is not a family album.

Only ever post words or pictures online that you are happy for the whole world to see – perverts and all – as that is exactly who can and will see them.