Children's privacy from media intrusion

[MaskOfAnarchy]

Ok, I know this wouldn't normally be an issue for the majority of us here, but how would you feel if you saw an image of your child's image featured online by a media publication without your consent?
You'd think the law would be behind you, if you asked them to remove it; right? Well you'd be wrong.
Why does a newspaper editor have the legal rights to your child's image rather than you as the legal guardian?

This law urgently requires change. As a parent our duty is to protect our children. I mean once it's out there, there's no getting it back.
Please take the time to check out www.childrensprivacy.co.uk , and if you agree that every parent deserves the right to protect their child, then sign the petition.
It literally takes two minutes and will make such a difference if implemented.

Thank-you, Chris. X

Your website is very short on information other than what happened to the Wellers.

What are the issues? What are the risks? Why is the protection you're calling for important? I'm not saying you're wrong - it's just that I'm not quite sure of what kind of scenario you're talking about and what the safe-guarding concerns are.

Do you have some connection to the Weller family and/or their legal team?

Oh, and when you talk of "the media" publishing photos, what exactly do you mean? Print journalism? TV? Online?

If we take a photo of our children at the beach and there are some other people's children in the background of the photo, do you envisage that we should obtain the written permission of the parents of those other children before we can upload the photo to Facebook? What about if one of the children in the background is the child of a famous person?

Firstly Howard, thank you for the time that you have taken to visit the website.
Secondly;in response to your question, no. I am not in any way connected to the 'Weller's' or their campaign. I just feel as a father that I should have total control over my child's image.
I use the Weller case as it is a perfect example as to the ridiculousness of the law in this country.
A man can sit in a bush with a long lens and take images of your/their/my child, yet if you ask him to stop he doesn't have to. Also if he wants to post those images online in whatever context he chooses, you have NO rights in asking for them to be removed.
Of course there are going to be instances such as the scenarios in which you paint occur, but if you posted a picture and somebody objected I would assume that you would have the decency to remove it.
What this campaign is calling for is for the law to be behind the parent of the child, and not of a newspaper editor who stands to make financial gain from posting of said images.

Yesterday, for example; at school sports day, we were politely asked to not post any pictures of children involved onto any social media sites.
I completely understand this, as some people simply do not wish for their children to be plastered onto the internet. Isn't that their fundamental right as a parent?

Chris

A man can sit in a bush with a long lens and take images of your/their/my child, yet if you ask him to stop he doesn't have to.

Up to a point, Lord Copper. If your child is in a place where you could have a reasonable expectation of privacy then the taking of such photos could breach ones rights under the ECHR's view of privacy and family life. But I take your point about the difficulty of enforcing those rights.

That being said and given that your focus seems particularly aimed at newspapers, would you feel better if - rather than specific legislation - this was covered by clearer and more stringent press regulation?

Incidentally, why is your website address registered to Church House Conference Centre in Westminster?

But that's the thing, by completely ignoring the findings and advice of The Leveson Enquiry completely, the Prime Minister of this country has allowed the 'press' to govern themselves. Giving them free reign to do as they please.
Of course press regulation is an answer, but realistically that isn't going to happen anytime soon; so I for one support this campaign for a change in the law, giving the parent the tools to bring up their child how they see fit.

You (as everyone is) are entitled to your opinion, however mine is that I would NOT want to see pictures of my children anywhere on the internet. Maybe they will do so, when they are old enough to make their own decisions, but until that day arrives I'd like to think that I would have some kind of legal tool at my disposal to have the images taken off should this be the case.

As previously stated, it is not my website so I would not
know the answer to that question.