Austrian teenager sues parents for putting her baby photos on Facebook

Many teenage hearts have sunk when their parents open the family photo album to visitors - but few have imagined that it could actually be illegal.

However, one 18-year-old Austrian woman is suing her parents for posting baby photos on Facebook without her permission.

The teenager, who has not been named, said she was outraged to learn that hundreds of embarrassing images had been shared with her parent's 700 Facebook friends.

The woman told Die Ganze Woche magazine that she had only discovered the trove when she joined Facebook herself at age 14.

She reportedly asked her parents to remove some 500 images of her childhood but they had refused.

"Therefore, I see no other way than to sue," she told the magazine. "I'm tired of not being taken seriously by my parents."

The case is due to be heard in November. It could help define Austrian law over personal privacy rights on the internet.

Many countries are still working out the legal ramifications of the explosion of social network sites sharing personal memories and photos.

French lawmakers warned parents not to share photos which intruded on their children's private life earlier this year, as it introduced new laws bringing in fines of up to £35,000 for publishing any such material.

However, the girl's father remains unconvinced of the arguments.

"I consider it my right to be able to publish these photo," he said. "After all this is our child, and it is a lovely family album for my wife and me."