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?!?!

This lady is now threatening legal action!! She has also sent our Assistant Organizer messages. Hope they’re both having fun!

@Doglover321 have you contacted her and explained that as it’s a voluntary role you will removed her image as soon as is reasonably possible around your actual work commitments and that you will remove her likeness from your meetup events by end of day Friday as a reasonable time frame?

Or have you acknowledged her request at all. I can’t recall the whole thread.

Let her spend her time and money on lawyering up. Just respond with "ok". Ok to what will be the question.

Wow she sounds completely mad. I think for your peace of mind just agree to blur her out. Also, I would now bar her from future meet-ups.

I organise meetup groups. Honestly, I blur her image (as others have suggested), and remove her from the group. Next meetup event, take another group picture, and use that for the group instead.

Agree with others just blur her out in the main group picture, any other copies are not your problem.

Have you actually removed/blurred her from the meetup site photo yet as she asked? If not then please do that. If you have and she's complaining about the versions which have been shared by other people then tell her to contact those individuals herself.

And remove her from the group

Weird woman! I don't how she can bothered to put so much effort into this.
Let her take legal action and spend pointless amounts of money on a legal case that will go nowhere
Reminds me of those types who generate minor property disputes and then end up spending tens of thousands of pounds on legal fees to prove their point (and usually don't win!)

Update: I have since posted to the discussions board reminding everyone that most of the time photos taken at events don’t just stay in someone’s phone photo gallery never to see the light of day and that it is the responsibility of the individual not to be in a photo unless they want to be in one. Consent can’t be retracted!

Good call OP.
Adults can adult themselves simply by stepping outside of group photos.

I think the first bit is great but think you should add ‘or let someone know you do not consent to having your photo published’ additionally I would remove the last sentence as legally for photos published on SM platforms consent can be retracted and you can’t take that legal right away in your terms however annoying it might be.

So you’re determined to die on this hill then and refuse her requests, in spite of the trouble that’s now causing other people? Her request is bonkers I don’t disagree, your reaction however is just going to antagonise her even more. They can still retract consent by the way.

I didn’t post this exact quote. I’ve just told you essentially what I said, but in much more informal language

Whack a zany emoji on her head and be done with it

I mean..gdpr says otherwise

Yup. I can change my mind about the emails I receive and all sorts of goodies.

It’s not so much where it was taken but the fact it was then published to advertise a meet-up group. She would have no right for example to insist you delete a photo taken in a public place off your phone. Legally for data protection purposes taking a picture and publishing a picture are two separate things.

While she consented to being in the photo and initially seemed ok with it being published now she is not. And that’s ok. It does not mean OP has to take down the picture it does mean she needs to blur her face, because when a data subject withdraws consent that is what the Data Protection Act 2018 requires.

It is a bit baffling All the shenanigans with threats of lawyers etc and we’ll never know why she changed her mind but it is what it is 🤷‍♀️

She agreed to it. Just tell her her to jog on 🤷‍♀️

I mean..gdpr says otherwise

and here we go again. People talking nonsense with no understanding. I mean….the last person who posted and argued for this eventually removed all of her posts as she was proven wrong!

@lasagnelle

Wtf. Consent can be retracted. I say sure spam me with emails and then I say actually no.

Private vs public space is to do with the alcohol licence. It's a private space as you're there by 'invitation' only. The licence holder can withdraw that invitation at anytime and ask you to leave without giving any reason. It's called a public house because it's not a private members club, like a bowling club.
I've no idea about GDPR implications though.

Got it - thanks for clearing that up!

@lasagnelle GDPR has nothing to do with stopping emails. It also has nothing to do with the op taking a photo and posting it. H2h

In the UK, there are no general restrictions on you taking a picture of someone who is in a public place.

But, if you shoot a picture of someone doing something interesting in a public place, and then attempt to sell it commercially, they might come after you for copyright. This the reason for getting everyone involved in a commercial shoot to sign a model release beforehand.

If you are shooting in a place where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy, even though the place is in some senses public, you should normally obtain consent beforehand, not only from the people you are shooting but from the proprietors as well. For example, when I used to run Communications in NHS organisations, no one was allowed to come onto the premises (hospitals, clinics, medical centres) to shoot pictures without my permission, and the permission of everyone they were going to shoot. Later, we relaxed the rule for people taking smartphones pictures of their own family, but we insisted that they gain permission from anyone else who was in shot.

GDPR is often perceived as limiting photography, but the rules are nowhere what many people imagine them to be

and in reality, unless you want to spend tens of thousands taking someone to court then you’re stuffed anyway

Taking the photo, no - posting it on a publicly hosted platform to promote a meet-up group, which is what I understand is the case here, yes.