Allow me to clarify:
- In the US, there is no guarantee of privacy. That means you can film people in public, but if you share it without their permission, it should be a civil offense to share that film via text, whats app, youtube or other sharing services
- This only applies to targeting individuals. For example, if you film your family in Central Park, you can’t just tell everyone in the background to stop walking by. But since the target is your family, then the people in the background are NOT the focus of your video, so it would not be included in a lawsuit.
However, if you target a person, whether they’re doing something nutty or not, you should not be able to share the video of them without their permission. If you do share it, then you could face a lawsuit from the “victim.”
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This does not apply to public officials who are currently on duty. For example, you can target a cop for a video and share it, as long as he or she is on duty. You can’t just follow an off duty cop while he or she goes about his or her day.
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If you do film a cop, all victims and suspects must be blurred out, or they can also file a lawsuit against you as well.
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If someone is committing an illegal act, you can film them, but you can only share it as use for evidence in a case, not for public consumption.
Comments
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No
This is a terrible idea and also would be near impossible to enforce since it’s all up to the intent of the person recording which only they can truly know. Also leaves open room for lots of abuse of power
No.
Nah, you’re just sharing what your eyes saw. It’s like sharing a memory. Everything is Fair Game.
some explain to op that: when you’re in public, people can see you.
How anti freedom and anti press of you
In public, its free game.
It’s called “being in public” for a reason
Is this by chance related to the woman who wouldn’t give up her window seat?
The First Amendment protects our right to film people in public because it safeguards freedom of speech and the press, which includes the right to gather and share information. Recording what happens in public areas is a form of expression and a way to document reality, whether for journalism, activism, or personal use. Since people in public generally don’t have a legal expectation of privacy, filming them isn’t just allowed, it’s protected. Courts have held that this right is essential for transparency and open discourse, especially when it comes to matters of public interest. Basically, filming in public is part of how we exercise our First Amendment rights.
No