Has the school director the right to post photos of primary school students on information resources without the consent of parents?

Legal grounds: priority of the right to privacy

According to Russian legislation, the direct answer is no, they do not have the right. Posting photos where a child is identified without prior written consent of their legal representatives (parents or guardians) is a violation of federal laws.

Key normative acts:

Federal Law No. 436-FZ of December 29, 2010 “On the Protection of Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development”. This law requires compliance with the interests of children when disseminating any information affecting them.

Federal Law No. 152-FZ of July 27, 2006 “On Personal Data” (152-FZ). This is the main regulator. A photo is considered a biometric personal data (paragraph 1, Article 11), as it allows to establish identity. The processing of such data (including collection, recording, storage, dissemination) is permitted only with the written consent of the subject of personal data (Articles 9, 11).

An important nuance: For children under 14 years old, such consent must be given by parents (legal representatives). From the age of 14, a teenager can sign it independently.

The consent must indicate specific purposes of processing (for example, “posting on the school’s official website in the “Our Achievements” section”), methods of use, and may indicate the term of its validity.

Article 152.1 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation “Protection of the Image of a Citizen”. The publication and further use of an image (including a photo) are permitted only with the consent of this citizen. After the death of a citizen, such consent may be given by their children or spouse. For minors, consent is given by parents.

Exceptions (Article 152.1 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation) that are NOT applicable to school photos:

The image is used in state, public, or other public interests (for example, the search for a criminal).

The photo was taken in a public place at a public event (concert, rally, sports competition) and the child is not the main subject. However, even in this case, judicial practice tends to take into account the rights of children and parents if the image is used by an institution for its own purposes.

Thus, the school’s “information resource” (website, social media group) is not a public event, but the targeted use of a child’s image for the benefit of the institution itself, which requires consent.

Risks and consequences of violation

Posting photos without consent entails a number of serious risks:

Administrative liability. According to Article 13.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, fines are provided for violation of the procedure for collection, storage, or use of personal data: for officials (directors) — from 10,000 to 20,000 rubles; for legal entities (schools) — from 60,000 to 100,000 rubles.

Civil liability. Parents have the right to demand the deletion of photos and compensation for moral damage through the court (Article 151 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation).

Reputational risks. Conflict with parents, negative attention from controlling authorities and the public.

Risks for the child’s safety. Unauthorized posting of children’s photos in the open may potentially be used by criminals (digital security issue, tracking routes and habits of the child, risk of creating fake profiles).

Example from judicial practice: In 2020, a court in Novosibirsk granted a claim by parents against a school that posted photos of their children on its website without consent. The school was ordered to delete the photos and pay compensation for moral damage to the parents. The court unambiguously qualified the actions of the administration as a violation of 152-FZ and the right to the image.

Practical recommendations for schools: how to act legally

Obtaining an informed written consent. This is the mandatory first step. The consent form must be detailed:

Clearly indicate the purposes of processing (for the website, for a poster, for social media).

Indicate specific types of data (photo, surname and name, class).

Provide the possibility of withdrawing consent at any time.

It is better to obtain a general consent for the school year with indication of all possible formats than to collect it for each event.

Compliance with the principle of minimal sufficiency. It is not advisable to publish full names along with photos. Permitted: “Students of 3rd A Class”, “The Team ‘Knowledge’”.

Emphasis on group and reportage photos. Courts and regulators are more lenient towards photos where children are taken in general plan at a school event, rather than being the main subjects of portrait photography. However, this does not cancel the need for consent.

Use of technological measures. On the school website, you can close the photo section with a password or make it accessible only to internal users (parents, registered under their own accounts).

Interesting fact: In Europe (under the GDPR), data protection for children is even stricter. Consent of parents is mandatory for processing personal data of a child under 16 years old (in some countries, the threshold is reduced to 13 years). Many European schools use special closed platforms (like Seesaw or ClassDojo), where photos and videos are accessible only to parents of a specific student after authorization, which minimizes risks.

Ethical aspect: trust and partnership

In addition to legal requirements, there is an ethical side to the issue. School is a partner of the family in the upbringing of a child. Ignoring the opinion of parents on such a sensitive issue as the publication of their children’s images undermines trust. The procedure for obtaining consent is not a bureaucratic formality, but an act of respect for the privacy of the family and the child’s right to a safe childhood.

Conclusion

The school director does not have the right to post photos of primary school students (and all minors) on information resources without prior written consent of parents. This is a direct requirement of the Federal Law “On Personal Data” (152-FZ) and the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Attempts to justify such actions as “school interests” or “absence of a direct prohibition in the charter” are illegal and entail administrative and civil liability.

The legitimate and ethical way is to build a transparent system of interaction with parents: inform about the policy of image use, obtain detailed consents, respect the right to withdraw such consent, and always put the safety and privacy of the child first. In the digital age, the protection of the student’s image is not an obstacle to work, but a basic norm of legal and professional culture of an educational institution.
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