Actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh became parents of a baby girl earlier this week, and for those of us who follow celebrity lives and culture, it has been a major event. There is something about a celebrity pregnancy that captivates the public—from the initial announcement to the glamorous maternity shoots, and finally, the much-anticipated delivery. Every milestone is followed obsessively.
But then comes the moment everyone has been waiting — to get a glimpse of the baby. However, like many other celebrity parents, Deepika and Ranveer have decided to adopt a no-photo policy for their newborn. This means that not only the paparazzi but even friends and relatives outside their close circle, will not be allowed to take pictures that could end up on social media.
Celebrity parents like Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, and Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra, have been particular about not letting anyone click or share snaps of their children. International celebrities like Gigi Hadid and Blake Lively have been adamant about keeping their children's pictures out of the public eye. They have taken to social media to appeal to the paparazzi to leave their kids alone. And if you do happen to catch a rare glimpse of their children, chances are you will see a big emoji covering their faces.
Now, the point is that this is not a topic for debate. Parents will decide if they want their baby's picture taken or not! But the fact that celebrity parents have had to appeal to the public to leave their kids alone means their wishes are not being taken seriously.
We have to agree that social media is not the nicest place, and we often encounter comments on pictures that could make even a saint’s blood boil. Plus, what about the safety and privacy of the child?
I came across a very alarming case published in The New York Times in 2019. "One day in 2005, a mother in Evanston, Ill., joined Flickr. She uploaded some pictures of her children, Chloe and Jasper. Then she more or less forgot her account existed. Years later, their faces are in a database that’s used to test and train some of the most sophisticated artificial intelligence systems in the world," Kashmir Hill and Aaron Krolik wrote in the article.
Now, that is the typical Black Mirror scenario we want to protect our babies from. They should have a life free from all of it, and a future that lets them choose.
This is not just about celebrities anymore. Every parent has the right to choose what they want for their children. Society should not get offended the next time a mother refuses to let you take a picture of her child. It is not about you. It is about the well-being of HER child.