Fox network under fierce fire for 'inappropriate' live stream of kid's play area: 'That's creepy as hell'

A Fox-owned news network has come under fierce fire for streaming a kid's play area live on the internet.

A Minnesota-based mom recently took to social media to share her discomfort after she discovered that the playground she took her son to had a camera pointed directly at the splash pad.

She claimed that there was a live feed on its website showing the children playing in their swimsuits, and it left dozens of others uncomfortable.

Her video was re-shared by the popular X (formerly Twitter) account Wall Street Apes, who revealed that the live stream was hosted by Fox9 Minneapolis-St Paul, a news network owned and operated by Fox.

In the original clip, the unnamed mom explained that she went on the website of her son's favorite park to check what time the splash pad was opening when she noticed there was a button for a 'live camera.'

'I clicked it, I was curious, like what are you livestreaming?' she said. 'This camera is directly on the splash pad, I can see all these kids playing and I can see the playground.'

'I guess it could be good to see if it's busy but also I feel like because I'm a mom I always think of the worst scenarios ever. Why is there a live camera 24/7 watching the children?' she wondered.

'Am I overreacting or thinking this is a bigger deal than it is?' 

The Wall Street Apes account claimed that the playground in question was Central Park of Maple Grove in Minnesota and that the livestream was hosted by Fox9.

On Fox9's website there is a page titled 'Central Park in Maple Grove live camera.'

Now when you go to it, however, the video has been turned off and returns an error that reads: 'The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.' The live camera has also been removed from Central Park's website.

Even so, Wall Street Apes's post sparked immense backlash for Fox, as hordes of horrified parents took to the replies to slam the outlet. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Fox9 and Central Park in Maple Grove for comment. 

'WTF? A cam on a kid's splash pad? That's creepy as hell,' one outraged user wrote.

'A valid concern and completely inappropriate and unacceptable to have surveillance, let alone publicly broadcast,' added another. 

'Creepy as f**k. Livestreaming kids in swimsuits 24/7 is a massive red flag. Shut it down,' scathed someone else.

'It's a bit odd that a Fox camera was pointing at the kiddos. Hopefully this is nothing really serious, but you never know who's actually watching,' read a fourth comment.

A fifth said: 'Massive red flag.'

One mom who said she has been visiting the park with her children 'consistently for years' wrote on Facebook that she was 'furious' about the live stream.

'There is NO visible notice to families about this camera that I've seen, and I have no idea when it was put up. When I noticed it, I assumed it was for security,' she said. 

'The children at the splash pad - in their swimsuits, who are young and also frequently have mishaps with their swimsuits, because many of them are toddlers - are being live streamed online without anyone's knowledge or consent.

'Can anyone explain why this exists? I am furious about this no matter WHAT the reason for it is.

'In real life, parents could confront and call police on anyone who is filming their children. Instead, thousands of children have had their privacy violated online without any notification, and God knows who's been watching it.'

Others, however, wondered if the cameras were set up in an attempt to keep kids safe.

'Maybe it's for security purposes and for caregivers to watch and/or locate their child,' one person suggested on X. 

'Is it to monitor the area and make sure there's no predators around the kids? Maybe the police set it up,' theorized another.

'Well if your child goes missing or gets injured there, you'll be happy they have cameras,' a different user chimed in.

'Most places do have those now. I don't think it is to help out pedophiles, but more to let people see conditions there at moment and maybe crowd sizes,' wrote someone else.

'They could also have it and recording in case there is an incident, they could review cameras and see what happened or who did it.'

'I've taken my grandchildren to this splash pad and I think this is a massive overreaction,' read another comment. 

'This place gets packed with daycare buses and it's good to know in advance. Also if there is an incident, the camera provides a record.'

'To those saying this is not a big deal… The issue is NOT the camera. The issue is that it's live streamed,' someone else fired back. 

'There are truly sick individuals out there who are likely viewing the stream for fun.'

'Security cameras, yes. Live stream for the public, no,' stated another social media user.