'Sharenting' isn't just a private affair XIE CAIFENG

A recent piece of news has taken us by surprise. The French National Gendarmerie has warned that parents could face jail or hefty fines if they post their children's photographs on Facebook.

According to French privacy law, parents who post their children's photos on Facebook without consent could be jailed or fined, or even be sued by their children when they grow up if their offspring feel their parents infringed on their right to privacy.

In China, the privacy right is prescribed in Article 2 of the Tort Law as a separate civil right. Anyone who infringes on another person's privacy rights is subject to legal liability, including a parent violating his/her children's rights.