Parents who upload pictures of their children on social media could be sued by their sons or daughters under France's privacy laws.

Mothers and fathers face a year in prison and a fine of £35,000 if they are convicted of publicising details of their children's private lives without their permission.

Experts claim French children could sue their parents for posting pictures of them on websites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Parents who upload pictures of their children on Facebook and Twitter could be sued by their children

'In a few years, children could easily take their parents to court for publishing photos of them when they were younger,' Eric Delcroix, an expert on internet law and ethics, told Le Figaro newspaper.

'Children at certain stages do not wish to be photographed or still less for those photos to be made public.'

And adults who sue their parents for breaching their right to privacy when they were children could receive compensation, experts say.

In February, the French Gendarmerie - concerned about the security of children - posted a message on Facebook, which read: 'Please stop posting pictures of your kids on Facebook.'

'Remember that posting pictures of your children on Facebook is not safe,' it added, according to The Local. 'It is important to protect the privacy of minors and their images on social networking sites.'

Adults who sue their parents for breaching their right to privacy when they were children could receive compensation, experts say

A 2015 survey of social media awareness, conducted by the University of Michigan, found that more than 74 per cent of respondents claimed they had doubts about posting baby images on the web, however they followed the crowd and did it anyway.

Worryingly, 51 per cent of parents offered up personal information alongside their photos that could identify a child's location.