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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I had every right to say no?

18 replies

Sunnydaysinengland · 23/01/2023 19:37

I work for a large ish company as a hr assistant, but I also help out on the recruitment side of things as and when is needed.

Myself and another colleague attended a jobs fair at a local college last Friday to try and fill some of our roles. At the end of the day a lady who worked there came up to us and asked if we minded having our picture taken so it could be posted to their Facebook page. I apologised and politely said no. Truth is I do have social media but my pictures are very limited as I'm currently overweight (something I'm working on but extremely insecure over) and I don't have any body photos on there. I don't even like family/friends taking pictures of me at the moment tbh. Obviously I didn't tell the lady this and just said I don't do social media (in a jokey way) but that she was welcome to ask my colleague if she wanted a picture or she could have taken a picture of our stall which had all the companies pictures/details on etc.

She was absolutely fine with it and that was that. Anyway, I've come into work today and my colleague has told my manager about it. It was mentioned in our team meeting this morning and she "jokingly" said I'd shown the company up. I've been here 5 years now and it is quite a bitchy environment. I've been wanting to leave for the last few months but haven't found anything yet. I'm normally pretty good at just ignoring the bitchy/sarcy comments but on this occasion it's really upset me and made me feel like shit.

WIBU to not have a photo taken? Surely I was well within my rights to say no and I wasn't rude?

OP posts:
gravyriceandchips · 23/01/2023 19:39

No you were fine op. She asked, you declined. Put it out of your mind. X

Temporaryname158 · 23/01/2023 19:40

You were not being unreasonable and I’d email (so it’s in writing) your manager stating your rights under GDPR and that you don’t appreciate being made to feel bad (quote her words) and how disappointed you feel. Gets it all on record should this become a ‘thing’

BruceAndNosh · 23/01/2023 19:40

There are lots of valid reasons why people prefer not to have their photo online.
It sounds like you did your best to decline politely

BobSacamono · 23/01/2023 19:41

You are definitely not being unreasonable. Stand your ground OP they sound like they’re still in primary school.

Howabsolutelyfanfuckingtastic · 23/01/2023 19:41

Not unreasonable at all. Lots of people don't like having their photo taken or put on social media. How strange that anyone would find it impolite or see it as showing the company up. Very bitchy indeed!! Ignore her.

GoodChat · 23/01/2023 19:42

Temporaryname158 · 23/01/2023 19:40

You were not being unreasonable and I’d email (so it’s in writing) your manager stating your rights under GDPR and that you don’t appreciate being made to feel bad (quote her words) and how disappointed you feel. Gets it all on record should this become a ‘thing’

Having your photo taken is nothing to do with GDPR. Why are people still spouting this nonsense?

BBCONEANDTWO · 23/01/2023 19:44

You are quite right - if you don't want your photo taken why should you? I was asked where I work - well kind of told and `I said no way. They might have been shocked but it's my choice not up to them. You done the right thing.

MM50122 · 23/01/2023 19:45

Temporaryname158 · 23/01/2023 19:40

You were not being unreasonable and I’d email (so it’s in writing) your manager stating your rights under GDPR and that you don’t appreciate being made to feel bad (quote her words) and how disappointed you feel. Gets it all on record should this become a ‘thing’

What does this have to do with GDPR? Think you need a little more training in this area!

VanillaLife · 23/01/2023 19:45

Not unreasonable at all.
I would be quite happy to see an end to every detail of a persons life being put online. Stand your ground.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 23/01/2023 19:46

Temporaryname158 · 23/01/2023 19:40

You were not being unreasonable and I’d email (so it’s in writing) your manager stating your rights under GDPR and that you don’t appreciate being made to feel bad (quote her words) and how disappointed you feel. Gets it all on record should this become a ‘thing’

I didn't think pictures fell under GDPR?

JudgeRudy · 23/01/2023 19:47

It's a difficult one to answer really. If you're in a public space there should be no realistic expectation of privacy, so whatever anyone can see they can photograph. The event organiser respected your request not to be included but she would have been within her rights to just take a snap shot (or video) anyway.....as could any other person there, yourself included.
I'm unsure why your team thought you had shown the company up. I'm also unsure why your colleague felt the need to report this incident back to 'gossip HQ'.
Maybe if you were working in a more supportive environment you might be able to address your issues with body image instead of wasting emotional energy on this.
Time to brush up that CV

JudgeRudy · 23/01/2023 19:49

Temporaryname158 · 23/01/2023 19:40

You were not being unreasonable and I’d email (so it’s in writing) your manager stating your rights under GDPR and that you don’t appreciate being made to feel bad (quote her words) and how disappointed you feel. Gets it all on record should this become a ‘thing’

I don't really think you have 'rights' to privacy if your role involves interacting with the public in a public place, certainly not legally.
Her employer has not breached any GDPR rules, neither has the photographer.

Justalittlebitduckling · 23/01/2023 19:55

Very petty of your colleague to mention it at work. Obviously resenting missing out on her little moment of fame!

Temporaryname158 · 23/01/2023 22:48

The image is her own. The school would likely have used the image for publicity be that publically via school newsletter, website or internally. A photo is considered data under GDPR and the OP did not give her permission for it to be used as they are within their legal rights to do.

I am not saying the employer or the photographer has done anything wrong but I am saying the OP had the right to refuse her data/photo to be taken and used and her company should not make her feel bad for having exercised that right

Tinkerbyebye · 23/01/2023 23:03

Yes you had the right to say no
@JudgeRudy @AllThingsServeTheBeam @MM50122

from the gov.uk website

We know that photographs not only have meaning to the photographer, but to the people in the image. And there may be times when a model in a photograph objects to their image being shared. In this scenario, under GDPR a photograph is classed as someone’s personal data.

so consent is required, she can say no, or ask for it to be removed if it’s posted somewhere and she sees it

JudgeRudy · 23/01/2023 23:24

Tinkerbyebye · 23/01/2023 23:03

Yes you had the right to say no
@JudgeRudy @AllThingsServeTheBeam @MM50122

from the gov.uk website

We know that photographs not only have meaning to the photographer, but to the people in the image. And there may be times when a model in a photograph objects to their image being shared. In this scenario, under GDPR a photograph is classed as someone’s personal data.

so consent is required, she can say no, or ask for it to be removed if it’s posted somewhere and she sees it

Well yes, sometimes.....but usually not. Im not sure where you've copied that from but it seems to refering to a model and talks about 'this scenario', but we dont know what that scenario is. If the organiser was profiteering rom the pic there's additional rules. If my GP had a pic of the boil on my bum, then yes, that would be personal data but GDPR rules don't apply to individuals only companies/bodies. I guess it depends in what capacity the photo was taken and if it was on a work or a personal phone.
Simply objecting to having your photo taken doesn't mean someone can't take it.
If a member of the public had taken a picture of OP and framed it, there's no law to stop that. I've been present when my good friend a photographer was challenged and Police were called. I also watch 'audits' regularly.

PyongyangKipperbang · 24/01/2023 00:44

I would have said no too and gone to town on a manager who pulled me up on it. I dont have my photo on any SM except my own and even then rarely, I refuse to let friends tag me except my sister who has her privacy locked down the same as I do.

My ex was abusive and loves to know what I am up to and use it against me. I know he is mad as hell that I have blocked him and every mutual friend and my in laws so he has limited access. So I wouldnt want my photo in the public domain as although it wouldnt gain him anything he would say something about it just so I knew that he knew about it. "oh busy week at work getting your picture in the paper then...." or some such bullshit. I have an old friend who is the same because she was removed from her birth family as a young teen who still now try to get in contact with her, sometimes nice, sometimes threatening and abusive. It doesnt take a genius level IQ to figure out why someone may want to keep a low profile.

Babsexxx · 24/01/2023 06:03

Yanbu I resent photos being taken of me and wouldn’t really like my photos someone else has power over to be splashed over a social media platform!

Every single right to decline your work place is being unreasonable making an issue out of a non issue.

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