Ruby Franke’s daughter, Shari Franke, took a stand before the Utah House of Representatives, raising awareness about the risks associated with family vlogging and urging lawmakers to enhance protections for child influencers.
Currently, Ruby Franke, a once-prominent family vlogger, is incarcerated on multiple felony child abuse charges, stemming from her arrest in August 2023, when authorities found two of her children in a state of “malnourishment”with “open wounds.”
In the aftermath, her children have been outspoken about their mother’s misconduct, with Shari taking significant steps to combat the exploitation of children in family vlogs.
Jodi Hildebrandt (left) and Ruby Franke (right) previously collaborated on content for ConneXions’ YouTube channel, and now both face severe legal repercussions for child abuse.
On October 16, Shari posted a series of images from the courtroom on Instagram, coupled with an extensive message outlining her mission to eliminate family vlogging practices.
“When kids gain recognition within their family’s online content, they transition into child influencers,” she stated. “It goes beyond just recording family moments for the internet; it transforms into a full-time career, complete with employees, business credit, managers, and marketing plans.
“The key difference between family vlogging and typical business structures is that the workforce consists entirely of minors. From before they’re born until they hit 18, children are showcased as the central figures in family-run enterprises across YouTube, Instagram, and various other platforms.”
Shari further questioned the emotional and psychological impact on children portrayed in their vulnerable moments for online engagement.
“Some of our most viral videos stemmed from instances like when my eyebrow was inadvertently waxed off, exposing a distraught teenager wishing for privacy during a moment of grief,” she recounted.
“Another instance that stands out was when I fell seriously ill and ended up being the focal point of that day’s content. My friends started to distance themselves because they knew filming would invade our experiences together. The camera was relentless, and there was no escape from being recorded.”
Ultimately, Shari expressed her conviction: if given a chance to relive those moments, she would choose a modest bank account over having her childhood scrutinized online. She emphasized that “no amount of financial compensation can justify my experiences.”
Ruby Franke is widely known for launching the ‘8 Passengers’ YouTube channel, which depicted her life alongside her husband and their six children. However, the family’s content attracted criticism in 2020 for disciplinary actions taken by Ruby, including the extreme measure of denying her son his bedroom, forcing him to sleep on a beanbag chair for nearly half a year.
In August 2023, Ruby and her associate Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested on allegations of serious child abuse, each receiving sentences ranging from one to 15 years in prison, with neither able to exceed 30 years behind bars.
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