If your camp offers a way for parents and their guests to view photos of campers or send them letters online, it might be time to pause and ask: who else has access to this information? While it may seem harmless—and even helpful—to have public-facing tools for families, these features can create real camp data privacy risks that every organization should take seriously.
We know camps operate on trust. You work hard to build that trust with parents, campers, staff, and your broader community. But even well-meaning decisions, like sharing camper photos through a public gallery or offering open email systems, can unintentionally put campers and your organization at risk. And in a time when data privacy expectations are rising and digital tools are evolving fast, it’s essential for camps to stay ahead of potential vulnerabilities.
Let’s walk through the biggest concerns, real-world scenarios, and how you can shift to safer systems—without compromising the warm, connected experience you want to offer families.
The Hidden Risks of Public Galleries and Messaging Tools
From Flickr to SmugMug to custom-built galleries, camps often share hundreds—sometimes thousands—of camper photos each season. Some even allow public access to email messaging services meant for parents to connect with their kids. These tools are often set up with good intentions: making it easy for families to stay involved, celebrate their camper’s experience, and build lasting memories.
But these tools can also become easy entry points for people who shouldn’t have access.
Here’s why it’s a concern:
- No login required: If anyone can visit your website and access your photo gallery or camper email service, then anyone includes individuals outside your camp community.
- Photos as data: Images may reveal camper names, age groups, team assignments, or even daily schedules. With facial recognition tools and basic scraping software, this visual data can be compiled and connected to other online sources.
- Open email systems: If your camp uses a messaging platform that doesn’t verify senders or require authentication, you’re offering a direct communication path to children—with no real oversight.
- Generalized Seasonal Password: Many camps use a single shared password—like “Summer2025!”—for parents or caregivers to access photos or send emails. While convenient, this approach makes it easy for that password to be shared beyond your community, weakening any sense of security. If the password leaks, your entire system is effectively public.
These aren’t hypothetical concerns. Bad actors can—and do—use open digital doors to gather information, impersonate parents, or make inappropriate contact. And in today’s connected world, it doesn’t take much technical skill to misuse access points like these.
Real Scenarios That Should Raise a Red Flag
Here are some examples that might sound familiar:
- A camp offers a public SmugMug link on its website where anyone can browse camper photos, sorted by date and activity.
- A camp uses a tool where anyone can send emails to campers during a session—no login or parent verification required.
- A camp relies on legacy or homegrown systems for camper communication, with minimal oversight or privacy controls.
- A camp hosts open photo albums on platforms like Flickr, with metadata and geolocation tags still embedded in the image files.
In each of these situations, camps don’t realize how easily their tools could be exploited—or how much personal data they were making available. But the takeaway is clear: if your camp’s digital tools are publicly accessible, your community’s information isn’t truly protected.
Balancing Connection with Protection
We get it: families love seeing what their campers are up to. And communication is a core part of the camp experience. But here’s the good news—you don’t have to sacrifice connection to build in better safety. It’s possible to deliver a high-quality, emotionally resonant experience and reduce camp data privacy risks at the same time.
The key is to shift from public access to permission-based access.
Here are a few starting points:
Use Secure Platforms with Required Logins
Opt for tools that require parents to log in and access content specific to their child. Campanion does this well—offering a top-notch experience while keeping data secure.
Disable Public Photo Sharing
If your gallery is hosted on a platform like SmugMug or Flickr, ensure it’s password protected. Better yet, move to a photo delivery service that’s integrated with your camp database, like Campminder and Campanion. That way, only verified guardians can view or download images.
Avoid Open Email Systems
Many camps still use publicly accessible message portals. Replace these with parent-authenticated systems that track who is sending messages, when they’re sent, and whether the content aligns with your camp’s communication policy.
Build Internal Awareness
Sometimes, these public-facing tools exist simply because “that’s how we’ve always done it.” Educating your team—including seasonal staff—about digital privacy risks can help shift the culture toward more secure practices.
Why This Matters for More Than Just This Summer
Parents are increasingly aware of how their data—and their children’s data—is used and shared. If your camp is using public systems, it may only be a matter of time before someone flags a concern. By proactively improving your digital practices, you’re showing families that you take their trust seriously.
And it’s not just about perception. Camps that tighten up their systems reduce their exposure to liability, avoid PR issues, and position themselves as thoughtful, future-ready organizations.
Better data protection can also unlock operational wins. When your tools are integrated, secure, and organized, you can streamline staff workflows, improve reporting, and elevate your family experience—all while minimizing camp data privacy risks.
A Smarter System for a Safer Experience
More and more camps are discovering that secure, centralized systems like Campminder’s platform help them solve multiple problems at once.
For example:
- A camp that once used a public gallery now shares photos through a mobile app, with facial recognition that’s only available to verified parents.
- Another camp integrated its messaging tools with its camper database, so only guardians can send messages—and they’re logged and reviewed automatically.
- Camps can segment photo access by event, keeping personal data protected even for short-term sessions.
In each case, the camp didn’t lose any warmth or connection. In fact, the parent experience often improved—because they had easier, faster, and more beautiful ways to engage with their child’s journey.
Start Closing the Gaps Today
We understand that every camp is at a different stage in its tech journey. Maybe you’ve been meaning to lock down that photo gallery for a while. Maybe you’ve been eyeing a new system but haven’t had the time to explore it fully. Maybe you’re not even sure what’s currently public on your site.
Wherever you’re starting, here are three things you can do this week:
- Audit your current tools: Look at your photo galleries, email portals, and other public-facing features. Can anyone access them? What do they reveal?
- Talk to your team: Include data privacy as part of your next leadership or admin meeting. Share this post if it helps spark the conversation.
- Reach out for help: If you’re unsure how to move forward, we’re here to help. Our team has worked with hundreds of camps transitioning to more secure systems—and we’d be happy to talk through your options.
Your Families Deserve Better Protection
You’re already creating incredible experiences for your campers. Let’s make sure your digital systems reflect that same care and intention. Privacy, trust, and security aren’t extras—they’re essentials.
Taking steps to reduce camp data privacy risks doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It just takes a shift in mindset, the right tools, and a partner who understands the camp world inside and out.