Opinion: The unconscionable truth about celebrity kid paparazzi photos

The 60-year-old actor said this in an open letter to the British Daily Mail and other media outlets on Thursday, urging them not to publish photos of his children. Clooney argued that posting photos of their twins would put their children’s lives at risk because his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, fights terrorist groups.

The media should of course comply with Clooney’s request – but also refrain from publishing photos of anyone’s children in public without permission. Clooney is right that his wife’s nature of work increases the need for privacy to keep their twins safe. But even if it weren’t for that, it’s unreasonable for paparazzi to target a celebrity’s children.

Dodging attempts by adults to record them in a public playground, school, or out for a walk robs a child of their childhood. It prevents them from enjoying the carefree moments that should be everyone’s birthright. Every child should have the chance to go through their uncomfortable adolescence, miss a light shot at basketball training, and experiment with fashionable clothes without every movement being recorded for posterity.

This constant surveillance also robs them of anonymity to explore the world and make new friends without people knowing their parents’ identity. A kid who finds a new buddy between camera flashes at soccer practice can never know if the person is real or just wants access to a famous family.

Growing up also involves making mistakes and exploring different identities. A child who cannot go out into the world without being known as George Clooney’s daughter or son does not have that chance – a denial of anonymity the child never signed up for.

Getting targeted by photographers also compromises a person’s safety. Think how Princess Diana died in a car accident while her driver fled paparazzi, or the tabloid photos of Britney Spears driving with her son on her lap. Spears later said she tried to evade photographers, stating, “I instinctively took steps to get my baby and myself out of harm’s way, but the paparazzi continued to chase us.” No child should ever be so endangered. And a child who experiences such experiences is likely to be afraid to go out into the world; Paparazzi swarms are confusing, even for adults. The pandemic has shown us all firsthand how bad it is for the mental health of children not being able to leave their homes. No child should be induced to live such a caged life in a post-pandemic world – no matter how luxurious their home may be.

In his letter, Clooney argued that he never publishes photos of his children himself, but that too is irrelevant. Parents should have the right to share a vacation photo with fans without giving paparazzi permission to follow their children on their way to school.

Clooney specifically mentioned the Daily Mail because the tabloid published photos of actor Billie Lourd’s 1-year-old child and later removed them. In the future, the Daily Mail and all other media and websites should implement strict guidelines against the publication of photos of children of people in public, unless the child’s parents or parents have given them express permission to do so have to take them to an event that knows in advance that media will be present (e.g. a movie premiere).

Photographers must also be given incentives to stop this practice. Media companies should refuse to hire photographers who take photos of celebrity children without permission. And when readers see photos like this in the media, we should express our outrage. The ugly truth is that the practice would cease if the public didn’t create demand for these images.

It’s time to divert the public spotlight from the children of celebrities and the publishers, photographers, and consumers who are selling these photos. Every child should have the right to move around the world without fear of being chased by adults. The children of people in public should be treated for the vulnerable people they are – not characters for public consumption.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/07/opinions/clooney-celebrity-kids-paparazzi-alaimo/index.html