Is it ever okay to film strangers in public? - eviltoast
  • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
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    5 months ago

    If you’re on the sidewalk in public, you have no expectation of privacy.

    Under normal context, that’s correct.

    But if you are purposely being filmed as part of a movie, project, “prank” or anything else that makes you the “talent”, it moves into a commercial licensing/permit/consent realm.

    I’ve been to loads of public events where I’ve had to sign a release form acknowledging that my photo may be captured and that those images may be used in marketing/social media posts, etc. That’s because being at the event makes me the subject. While this wouldn’t be a concern if other people in the group are taking photos/video for their own personal use, the fact that those images may be used for commercial purposes changes the context.

    If social media asshats want to use someone’s photos or video for their own commercial purposes, they should be following the same rules as any other professional.

    For clarity, we aren’t talking about randos being filmed while on a walking tour of a city; we’re talking about specific people being targeted and recorded as the main subject without consent and with the explicit purpose to use their video for commercial content.

    Nearly every country has laws protecting people from having their images used for commercial purposes without consent.