Kim Kardashian receives backlash over topless photo taken by daughter, North West

— -- Kim Kardashian is facing backlash on social media after posting a topless photo that was apparently taken by her 4-year-old daughter.

In the photo posted to Instagram, the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star's back is to the camera with her bra clearly open and her hands concealing her chest.

A caption reads, "by North," referring to her daughter with rapper Kanye West.

It also appears from the photo, shared Thursday, that her daughter took the photo as North appears in the image with a flash covering her face.

Kardashian and West, who wed in 2014, are parents to two younger children as well, Saint, 1, and Chicago, who was born last month.

On Twitter the response was swift, with people calling the photo "disturbing" and "messed up."

Piers Morgan, one of the many critics, wrote that the photo was "pathetic & creepy."

Still, others defended the photo saying that they're glad Kardashian "does whatever...she wants now."

ABC News reached out to a rep for Kardashian, but has yet to hear back.

Kardshian, 37, previously said in a 2015 interview with Elle magazine -- after giving birth to North -- that she shows more skin now that she's a mother.

"I mean at the beginning, when you're losing your pregnancy weight you don't really know how to dress, so that just doesn't count," she said. "You just dress as simple as possible. But I think since I've gotten in shape, and I feel good about myself, I dress I think sexier now than I did before."

Kardashian added that despite becoming a mother she prioritizes taking "5% or 10% for yourself a day."

"It won't just make the difference in your confidence, but also your sanity," she continued in Elle. "I mean there are times where sometimes I couldn't even wash my hair if I didn't have help. I couldn't even figure it out."

The reality star concluded, "I think once you just set boundaries and how you're going to parent -- everyone parents differently so I hate to be that person to tell them how anyone should parent, I think whatever works for you works."