To think any man would know this wasn’t acceptable.

[Mummytoswiftie25]

I took my DD to a movie with a few friends yesterday - it was a specific movie they had been waiting to see and so they went all out and dressed up in costumes.
we were waiting in the food court outside and the girls were mucking about hugging etc when a man approached us with his mobile phone out and lifted his phone up, I automatically went “ what are you doing “ and he proceeded to then ask us if it was ok to take a picture of any DD alone. I asked him if he had taken any other pictures and to move away. I called security over and asked to see the photos he has taken, he had taken a few of the girls playing around and then told security it was a mis understanding and they he just appreciated her costume, deleted the photos and they let him leave.

surely any man I would say 35-40 years old would know this to be wrong ?

That is sooooooo creepy.

It's also socially unacceptable though not illegal for reasons unbeknown to me, good thing you stepped in when you did because by now, those images could be all over the internet in an instant and then turned into memes.

It's a shame theres' always one weirdo trying to film someone, everywhere they are like a rat up a drain pipe.

There is no limit, none, to what some men don't realise.

It’s literally illegal to take pictures of strangers in public without a model release/permission, anyone with a brain would know this. No excuses.

Ew what an absolute creep. The shit some men have normalised in their twisted little brains astounds me. Good on you for confronting him and sticking up for your DD and her pals.

No, it isn't.

@DonnaBanana please state the legislation as you seem so confident

You are wrong. Why do people confidently spout false information all over MN? 🙄

So you would be absolutely fine with a stranger taking pictures of your young daughter/sister/niece without consent and without you knowing why they were taking them or what intentions they had of doing with the pictures, I mean, as he's not doing anything illegal right?

You are wrong.

In fact, it's completely legal to take pictures of strangers in a public space, apart from upskirting. It is however socially very unacceptable to take photos of a stranger's children without a good reason, or without gaining consent.

A model release is only necessary if a person intends to use the images they have taken for commercial purposes.

It isn’t. Literally or otherwise.

It isn't for me to police people going about their lawful business. There are many things people do that are legal to which I might object on a personal level - that doesn't give me the right to stop them.

The security guard had absolutely no right to even view the images let alone ask for them to be deleted. Nor did he “let him go”, he had no right to detain him in the first place. As creepy as the guy was he wasn’t doing anything illegal.

How old is your daughter? You did the right thing, because she and her friends also saw how they should respond in the future to this behaviour, it's vital we call men out on this crap.

I'm not excusing what he did but just out of interest was he from another country? Only because when we travel with our children to southeast Asian countries it's definitely the social form to take photos of kids without parental consent. It happened so much to my daughter who was a very cute 5 year old that it put me totally off being expats, as I wouldn't want my children growing up thinking they r minor celebrities. Not that expatting was an option but you know what I mean!

Of course it's not, it's the total opposite, anyone can take photos of anything in public places

Anyone with a brain would realize that couldn't possibly be true 😁

Do you never take a photo outside?

There was thread I read about posters spouting supposed law earlier, this is an absolute prime example

I agree, and I’m not convinced the story happened as described tbf.

It isn't for me to police people going about their lawful business. There are many things people do that are legal to which I might object on a personal level - that doesn't give me the right to stop them.

///

Whilst you may not be possible for you to actually stop them you have do have a right to challenge them and ask them to stop providing you do so in a law abiding way

God, men just get worse and worse don't they. It never stops. And it never will.

YANBU @Mummytoswiftie25

Good point ... it is often men doing this. Creepy fuckers

This is completely incorrect. There is absolutely no law against photography in a public place. How on Earth do you think street photographers, photojournalists, paps etc operate? Model releases are about using image rights, nothing to do with the lawfulness of taking photographs.

The OP’s child was photographed in a cinema, and the cinema are free to enforce their own photography policy (as many venues do). But again, this is just a matter of civil law and contracts, nothing to do with illegality.

I might not be happy with it but there is nothing I could do other than ask him to delete them. And he could refuse. And that would be that.

Everyone has the right to ask, or even tell asomeone to do something. They just don’t have the right to compel you to do it.

Id view that as harassment and peeping. Both illegal.

I mean, the fact he was so open about it says to me if he had nefarious intent he’s a very shit paedophile.
would you have reacted the same to a womsn doing the same thing?

That was my first thought too @Shade17 , the most potentially illegal act here was the security guard taking the man's phone. The man didn't break any law, however I think you are right OP to challenge him. Personally i feel it should be illegal without consent but I wonder will it ever be. The massively powerful social media and tech companies promote this BS. It blows my mind that people can record others using their glasses now thanks to Meta (possibly others too).