Meetup photo disgust

[Doglover321]

I’m the Organizer of a popular Meetup group and we recently had our large 1 Year Anniversary event in a local pub. Ahead of the event, I decided to post that we will have a group photo at 8pm for anyone who wants to, and then went around and reminded members just before 8pm that we’re about to take our group photo and they can be in it if they want. There were about 50 of us in attendance, but I specifically remember speaking to two new members and asking them if they want to be in the group photo, to which they responded that they absolutely did. They are pictured in the photo smiling and posing!

HOWEVER, one of these new members has two months later changed her mind and been ordering that the photo is deleted and taken down from all platforms - including Meetup itself, that she didn’t consent, etc.

Where do I stand on this, please?! Don’t tell me I’m going to get them to fill in photo consent forms going forward?!?!

Actually yes, you probably should get written consent. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just a sheet of paper on which anyone who wants to be in the photo scribbles a signature. And don't let anyone be in the photo who doesn't agree.
Meanwhile I think you can safely ignore these demands to have the photo taken down.

I've seen it twice on this site just today... a site which surely has a large cohort of middle-aged women... can't believe people are still so ignorant and unaware...

She even mentioned she told her marketing department at work and a pub is a private place and I will have needed her consent

Please ask her to ask her marketing department chum what s/he thinks the word “pub” is short for. I’m dying to hear!

Maybe she felt weird being the only person not in the photo (although she’ll stand out more with a blurred out face!)? For the New Year’s Eve Eve could she take the photo- that way you get to be in it and it stops this from happening again?

Just ignore her and in the future tell her to get out of the photos/ crop her out. If she asks say ok but dont do anything.

Some people are just bonkers. I experienced something similar recently. I went to a free event with my kids which was very clearly described in advance as an event where photos and videos would be taken for marketing purposes. We had to fill in all the usual consent forms and I guess I could have said no to everything (but why would I do this when I was aware of the nature of the event). As it happened I did say no to 1 or 2 types of use for the photos/videos, but was generally ok for the photos/videos to be used. Anyway there was a part of the event where all the kids were doing something and the BBC were very obviously filming it (think massive cameras, 2 camera men, people telling the kids to do xyz, etc). It wasn't the main part of the event so the kids could still have enjoyed the event without doing this particular thing. It was basically an activity for the sole purpose of filming it. I also took a video of what the kids were doing but was told to delete it because some people weren't comfortable with videos of their kids. Totally fair enough in normal circumstances but their kids were about to be on the BBC where anyone could have them recorded the video and done whatever to it. Bonkers.

Blur her out badly and make her wider while you’re at it😂

You only need verbal consent as you're adults in a public space. You could add into the join up form that photography occasionally takes place; make it clear that when photos are taken it's the responsibility of the individual to stand outside of the photographed area if they do not want want to be photographed. The onus can be on adults to adult themselves fgs.

Going forwards, when you advertise an event, state that photos will be taken and that should they not want to be included, they have to let you know prior to the event in writing and stick notices around the event to say that photos are being taken and if they have a problem, please advise staff.

BRUTAL! 😂

Ignore her. A photo taken in a public place has no laws governing it. Plus what exactly do you think she’s going to….do?

you CANNOT share that photo without their explicit consent. someone’s image is data until GDPR, so you can’t share it without their consent, in the same way that you can’t share adresses, phone numbers etc without permission

absolutely untrue. Please post where this law is? Public place? Photos are allowed.

and, if you wanted you could share people’s addresses etc as long as you’ve not obtained them in a manner which they believed confidential. I could post your name right now and that is NOT a GDPR breach

One thing that may have happened is that she may have become aware of how pernicious deepfake pornography is, and become worried about it. I teach computer science, and unfortunately if there aren't already deepfake images of me circulating, there soon will be--disgruntled students etc.

Her attempt to protect herself is probably misguided, it's near on impossible, but I can understand it.

She consented to being in the photo, but did she know it’d be published on a website?

She’s entitled to ask for it to be removed, as her image is her personal data requiring ongoing consent.

https://bysafeonline.com/are-photos-personal-data/

As a group of friends taking a picture, that she has chosen to be in, surely she hasn't got a leg to stand on!

Next time, give her a big sticky label to wear that says NO PHOTOS and remind her to use her common sense and get out the picture rather than make it unusable for everyone!!

For public events, if you're operating as a business, my professional understanding is that as long as it is made clear to guests that pictures will be taken, and what they will be used for and when, that is sufficient. E.g. there will be promotional photos taken at this event that may be used for marketing purposes now or in the future. If you do not wish to be included, please make yourself known to event organisers and step out of the photos.

Then you provide the sticker 🤣. Difficult as it may be if she's asked to be removed then blurring out the face sounds like the best option.

That’s fair. I’m not talking about publicised pics for children. I’m talking about private app update pics. So only the parents of the children involved are tagged IYSWIM. I am thoroughly displeased at the idea of people being able to see photos of my child which I can’t see. I hope that makes sense.

Don't buy into any drama; just blur her face out. There are many very valid reasons someone might want photos of themselves out of the public sphere. She has said it's not a safety issue but then said "anyone might get hold of it". She might be being over-dramatic but you don't know that. Simply blur her face and remind her that you can't control what happens to the copies that exist belonging to other people.

He's, this this this 💩💩💩💩

All I can think is she maybe didn’t anticipate it being so public and just anticipated it being shared with the group? Or she’s having some confidence crisis or mental health issues. ( or is a fugitive from justice!) Whatever it is she doesn’t have to share the reason and all you can really do is blur her face and reupload. 🤷‍♀️

Put a big emoji over her face. Next group photo, shout “Linda, could you move out of shot please? You’ve complained about being in every group photo that’s taken, and I don’t want to be editing photos all the time. Out please”

Tell her no.
Be assertive and say that it's a group photo she was clearly aware was being taken. It belongs to others in the group too and you are not deleting it. Then tell her to avoid this issue in future she needs to only pose in group photos if she's sure she is happy to have them taken.
I can't be doing with people like this. They need to get over themselves.
(Unless there's a genuine reason why there's an issue other than they just don't like the photo or had second thoughts) I'm sorry but in this day and age if you are at an event and someone us clearly taking a group photo.. you know it's then on someone's phone.. you know everyone has a smart phone.. you know it might end up on social media. If you have an issue with that you need to either not go and join the photo or you need to very clearly tell the person taking the photo that you don't want it on social media.
Take responsibility for yourself at the time don't get wierd later.
It's obviously different if it's a photo you weren't aware was being taken or a private photo of just you or something.
But large group photos at events? People need to give their heads a wobble being like this about it.

My thoughts exactly - Pub is short for Public House! I don’t get it!!

She consented to being in the photo, but did she know it’d be published on a website?
She’s entitled to ask for it to be removed, as her image is her personal data requiring ongoing consent.
https://bysafeonline.com/are-photos-personal-data/

@EdithBond this is guidance for employers. Who have acquired photos as part of a role eg ID, CCTV. It is NOT applicable to the op hosting a social group and taking a photo in a public place of them all.

I rue the day GDPR was introduced in some ways as the general public have zero understanding of it and try to apply it to ridiculous circumstances whilst getting all self righteous about it!

Oh me too. I hate having my photo taken, very unphotogenic yet not that bad in real life.

It's the 'little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing' adage.

Surely if people thought these comments through for a second they'd wonder how such 'consent' works e.g. when football or festivals are filmed - do they really think the BBC gets consent forms for every single one of the 80,000 people at Wembley or Glastonbury, and if someone sees themselves on TV and changes their mind and doesn't want to be shown they tell the BBC who then goes through all their footage and carefully crop them out? It's completely different to, e.g. a school concert because that is potentially identifying information, whereas the fact that someone once went to a football match (or in this case a pub!) isn't!

OP, I would say as it was in a public place you don't need her consent, and even if you did she gave it both implicitly by being in the photo, and verbally when you asked, and you have witnesses to confirm that. I'd probably say you'd blur her out of the photo on the actual group page to be nice, but you have no control over any of the other versions people might have posted themselves, and would tell her if she doesn't want to be in the 'formal' NY photo move out of the way when it is being taken, but would say you can't guarantee nobody else will take photos over the night and you have no control over them, so if she doesn't want any photos at all it's probably better if she doesn't attend. She sounds like more trouble than she's worth tbh.

I'd also post something on the group page the day before the event "Looking forward to seeing you all - we will probably be taking a group photo at some point which will then be posted on here and on FB - if anyone has any privacy concerns please do not get in the photo as I can't control what happens to the image once it has been uploaded. I've been previously asked if I can redact/remove people and I'm sure you can understand this is impractical and time consuming, so please can you only take part in the photo if you are happy with it being uploaded. Thanks!"