David Beckham has sparked a parenting debate over this photo

A seemingly innocent daddy-daughter photo posted by David Beckham has sparked online debate over whether parents should kiss their children on the lips.

The former pro footballer posted the photo on Instagram, taken on a family holiday believed to be in Tanzania, of him kissing his five-year-old daughter Harper.

The caption read: "Kiss for daddy (heart emoji)".

But the photo — which has been liked almost 2 million times — has sparked serious debate among parents on social media, with thousands of people commenting on the image and many labeling the photo "weird" and "wrong".

"David, to kiss lips of your daughter that's wrong," wrote one user. 

"To be honest kissing your daughter on the lips is a little weird," wrote someone else.

Another person wrote: "Why do this? We don’t need to see it."

Others have rushed to Beckham's defence, saying the snap was "sweet" and the father-daughter bond is "nothing less than beautiful".

"There's something very sick that people see anything other than pure & beautiful love between a parent and child kissing on the lips what a sad world we live in!"

Many people said they kissed their children on the lips or had been kissed on the lips by their own parents.

"Ignore the haters," one person wrote. "They’re stupid. Harper is not a teenager, she’s a little girl and there is nothing wrong with it."

This isn’t the first time the Beckhams have sparked debate on this topic either.

Last year, Victoria Beckham shared a photo of her kissing Harper on the lips on the five-year-old's birthday, captioned: "Happy Birthday baby girl. We all love you so much X kisses from mummy X".

"Eww sorry I'm old fashioned it looks like they making out," someone wrote.

Many mothers then posted photos kissing their own children on the lips in support.

Actress Hilary Duff also received a similar backlash late last year when she posted a photo to Instagram with four-year-old son Luca at Disneyland. The photo showed her giving him a smooch on the lips with the caption: "Happiest happiest happiest happiest happiest happiest happiest happiest place on earth! We love you @disneyland."

Hilary Duff hit back at trolls who called a kiss with her son 'inappropriate', inviting the haters with their "warped minds and judgment" to unfollow her on social media.

The former Lizzie McGuire star hit back at trolls who called a kiss with her son 'inappropriate', inviting the haters with their "warped minds and judgment" to unfollow her on social media.