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Tara Moss On Her Fight For A #NoKidsPolicy For Paparazzi Photos

Because no child is a public figure, regardless of their parents.
Tara Moss does not want photographs of children, identified by name, shared online.
Getty Images
Tara Moss does not want photographs of children, identified by name, shared online.

Tara Moss is an author, a model and a spokesperson.

Her daughter is none of those things but a paparazzi still snapped photos of her in an airport and they remain on The Daily Mail Australia clearly showing her face and identifying her as Moss' daughter, despite requests for them to be removed or blurred.

Moss has submitted a complaint with the Australian Press Council adding her voice to a global campaign to have media organisations instate a No Kids Policy for celebrity and news photographs.

"You could have clearly identifiable photographs taken of your child or any child in your care -- while they are leaving school, walking through an airport, playing on a beach, etc -- by a stranger, and have those photographs sold for profit and published in the media, identifying your child by name, and perhaps even identifying their school or whereabouts, all without your consent or even your knowledge.

"I'm not talking about street scenes. I am not talking about anonymous photographs in public places.

"I am talking about clearly identifiable images of your child, identified as your child by name, and distributed in the press without your consent, to be used as 'news' or click bait, despite the fact that the child is not a public figure."

Moss told The Huffington Post Australia images of a public figure's child had been used to intimidate them.

"Unfortunately, those who wish to intimidate, threaten or silence a person will sometimes make threats against that person's children.

"This is a particularly disgusting type of threat, and several cases like this have been in the press of late.

"One group of people who receive these threats are women who are opinion writers or prominent online. For example, writer Jessica Valenti recently quit social media after rape and death threats to her five-year-old.

"In some circumstances images of the child will be used to cause further distress or add weight to the threat.

"I don't want to make my daughter clearly identifiable to strangers at this time in her life, for a lot of reasons. This is why we only post images that obscure her face enough to keep her from being clearly identifiable, as an individual, to strangers."

Moss said her daughter was always by her side, and they were conscious of any images shared being unidentifiable.

I'm kind of excited to be home. Just a little. #home #snow #happiness I'm such a dag.

A video posted by Tara Moss (@taramossauthor) on

She said they would dress their daughter in big hats and glasses if they were going somewhere where they expected pictures would be taken.

"This isn't a daily occurrence for us, thankfully, as we have intentionally made our home in an area where our privacy is respected in the community and people don't take unwanted photographs of us and sell or publish those.

"However, in situations that are quite public, like community events when many cameras are out, we make a point of having her wear large glasses or hats. We explain that this is to protect her privacy, and she seems to accept that without any problem. It also makes good sun-sense of course.

"We enjoy steampunk and vintage-themed community events, and like to attend those as a family, sometimes wearing DIY costumes, so in those instances we also explain to her that the steampunk googles and top hat looks great with her costume. She has fun at those events.

"Frankly it is something I would like to not worry about at all, but the steps we take for her privacy are important for us as a family, and when she is older she can decide for herself how visible she wants to be to the public."

She's asking readers of all media to call for a No Kids Policy as has been done in the U.S.

"One major factor in the success of the #NoKidsPolicy overseas, which has been instituted by numerous major media outlets including Today, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Inside Edition, E! Online, NBC's Today Show, Us Weekly, The Hollywood Gossip, Just Jared, Perez Hilton and People magazine, among others, has been greater public and industry awareness about how the images are obtained," Moss said.

This won't mean kids are edited out of life or the press, it just means that images of children will only be published when consent is given.Tara Moss

"Once consumers had a greater understanding of the privacy and safety concerns and the distress that can be caused to children and their parents -- and also to other children who get caught up in the situation or the images themselves, which are sometimes taken outside schools or children's parties -- many felt they did not want to buy publications that featured those kinds of unauthorised shots.

"This won't mean kids are edited out of life or the press, it just means that images of children will only be published when consent is given.

"This makes good sense."

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