The British government is sounding the alarm that posting photos of your children online not only violates their privacy, but sets them up for a future where they’ll be unable to control their “digital footprint.”

To make matters worse, many toys as well as communication tools such as Amazon’s Alexa are gathering personal information on your children, information that can be sold to anyone from marketers to law enforcement officials.

I believe some children will be very unhappy to learn, as adults, that their photos and other personal data have been amassed by people and organizations all over the world since before they were born, when their parents (usually their mothers) posted their ultrasound scans.

The Brits are wise to warn parents about this. I wish the U.S. government would issue similar warnings to American parents, many of whom post literally thousands of photos of their children on social media. Remember, even if you “limit” who can see your children’s photos on Facebook, for instance, Facebook can still sell those photos to anyone they want. You agreed to that when you signed up for Facebook, you know.

Parents, you’re supposed to be your children’s protectors. Get a clue!