The public posting of adoption photos and personal information for children awaiting placement has prompted calls for increased privacy protections, as child welfare professionals and privacy advocates cite potential security risks, including exploitation and trafficking. A wave of legislative and regulatory activity is underway in the United States in 2025 to address these concerns.
Story Highlights
- Child welfare professionals and privacy advocates have raised concerns that the online exposure of children’s adoption photos creates privacy and exploitation risks.
- State and federal agencies in 2025 are enacting new laws, including the consideration of federal reforms like COPPA 2.0 and the Kids Online Safety Modernization Act (KOSMA), to regulate the handling of minors’ data online.
- Stakeholders, including child welfare agencies, adoption platforms, and lawmakers, are working to balance the need for adoption visibility with the implementation of robust safety and privacy protections.
- The regulatory efforts have sparked debate over potential government overreach and the balance between new privacy rules and concerns about family rights, transparency, and adoption placement success rates.
Security Concerns Raised Over Online Adoption Profiles
For years, the practice of posting identifiable photos and personal information of children up for adoption on public websites and social media was utilized to help connect children with permanent families. However, recent reports from child welfare professionals and privacy advocates in 2025 have challenged this practice, asserting that such public exposure may increase opportunities for malicious actors to target vulnerable minors.
The issue has become more pronounced with the expanding reach of the internet. While in the past, adoption outreach was limited to private networks or local media, today, children’s profiles are accessible to a global audience. While the goal remains to find permanent homes, the unintended consequence has been a rise in privacy risks. Security incidents and documented cases of online exploitation have intensified scrutiny, prompting a national discussion about the adequacy of current practices in safeguarding minors’ privacy and safety.
Experts warn of security risks to America's kids as photos expose those up for adoption https://t.co/6VEEpd1J3x
— ConservativeLibrarian (@ConserLibrarian) November 10, 2025
Legislative and Regulatory Action Accelerated
In response to these developments, legislators and privacy advocates have taken urgent action. Throughout 2025, a number of states have implemented new privacy laws specifically concerning the online handling of minors’ data, including adoption photos. Specific requirements in some states include disabling search engine indexing of profiles, restricting geolocation data collection, and mandating default high-privacy settings for all minors.
On the federal level, Congress is considering reforms such as COPPA 2.0 and the Kids Online Safety Modernization Act (KOSMA), which propose further restrictions on public access to minors’ data and potential penalties for non-compliance. Supporters of these measures argue they are essential for upholding child safety and parental rights, while critics caution that overly strict rules could potentially affect adoption placement rates.
These legislative efforts are supported by public calls for reform from leaders in child welfare. For example, Ashley Brown, CEO of a prominent child welfare organization, has publicly advocated for reforms to limit the public display of children’s adoption photos. Privacy specialists support this, calling for agencies and platforms to adopt robust anonymization techniques and limit data sharing.
Stakeholders Navigate New Compliance and Safety Demands
The current situation has placed child welfare agencies, adoption platforms, and policymakers under pressure. Agencies must now maintain a careful equilibrium, continuing to promote adoption visibility to find homes for children while enforcing stronger privacy safeguards. Platforms that host adoption profiles are facing new compliance and liability concerns, which often necessitate technology updates and legal review. Conversely, prospective adoptive parents, who often seek transparency, are encountering restricted access to information, which has contributed to a broader debate regarding government regulation.
The central challenge is the welfare of the children. While heightened privacy laws may mitigate the risks associated with public exposure, some worry they could also unintentionally reduce the visibility required for successful adoptions. Concerns have been raised that overregulation may result in fewer children finding permanent homes as both agencies and families navigate changing rules. The impact extends across the adoption sector, prompting new questions about the appropriate intersection of government, technology, and the protection of constitutional principles.
Industry professionals, legal scholars, and privacy advocates largely support immediate action to bolster children’s online privacy, citing evidence that public profile exposure has contributed to real-world harm. However, some stakeholders advise against broad prohibitions, arguing that a degree of visibility is crucial for successful placements. The prevailing consensus is that reforms must be carefully implemented to prioritize robust privacy and safety measures without compromising the core mission of helping children find loving, permanent families.
Watch the report: ADOPTION MAY BE RISKY FOR KIDS – YouTube.
Sources:
Professionals warn of security risks to America’s kids as photos expose those up for adoption
Is International Adoption Risky?
State and Federal Developments in Minors’ Privacy in 2025
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule Update
