5 ms·

Generally it seems you may photograph and film public property, assuming you believe Wikipedia.[1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography_and_the_law#Pu

by otoburb 11y ago

Generally it seems you may photograph and film public property, assuming you believe Wikipedia.[1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography_and_the_law#Public_property https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography_and_the_law#Public...

lorenzhs 11y ago
This wouldn't fly at all in Germany. If your surveillance camera films public ground, even if it's not the primary object being photographed, you're acting illegally. If, for example, you're trying to monitor your front door to catch a potential burglar and you can see the pavement and the people on it on the video, that's not allowed. You won't be able to use the footage in court even if it shows the burglar clearly. Others, including the state, can also sue to have the camera removed. Even dummy cameras can get you in trouble (e.g. employer installing them in the office kitchen, etc).
- pc86 11y ago
  This seems bizarre to me. Why would you have any expectation of privacy walking down a public street?
  - mindslight 11y ago
    Because of the law that prohibits systematic surveillance and archival of your activities?
- otoburb 11y ago
  I'm not surprised because Germany seems to be known as a country with one of the highest privacy regulations, going above and beyond what the EU mandates[1]. The 2009 amendment to the Bundesdatenschutzgesetz[2] is quite comprehensive. Working with German companies on technology projects has made me acutely aware of this. However, it seems many other countries do allow public photography and filming within reasonable limits. On a side tangent, I wonder if this means that German media uses many less public crowd shots than non-German media channels, if only because of the stricter privacy laws that would require individual consent for any person showing up in the image or frame. [1] http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20130625-your-private-data-is-showing http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20130625-your-private-data-... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesdatenschutzgesetz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesdatenschutzgesetz
- tzs 11y ago
  There are numerous webcams online showing German public spaces, streaming live and offering access to archived views. Are these illegal, or is there some kind of exception for when the surveillance is for public broadcast, or what?
- wott 11y ago
  Same in France. About webcams, AFAIK, the exception is either because people and car plates cannot be identified clearly for the image quality (and frequency) is low, or because they asked for a special authorisation.

by otoburb 11y ago

lorenzhs 11y ago

This wouldn't fly at all in Germany. If your surveillance camera films public ground, even if it's not the primary object being photographed, you're acting illegally. If, for example, you're trying to monitor your front door to catch a potential burglar and you can see the pavement and the people on it on the video, that's not allowed. You won't be able to use the footage in court even if it shows the burglar clearly. Others, including the state, can also sue to have the camera removed. Even dummy cameras can get you in trouble (e.g. employer installing them in the office kitchen, etc).

pc86 11y ago
This seems bizarre to me. Why would you have any expectation of privacy walking down a public street?
- mindslight 11y ago
  Because of the law that prohibits systematic surveillance and archival of your activities?
otoburb 11y ago
I'm not surprised because Germany seems to be known as a country with one of the highest privacy regulations, going above and beyond what the EU mandates[1]. The 2009 amendment to the Bundesdatenschutzgesetz[2] is quite comprehensive. Working with German companies on technology projects has made me acutely aware of this. However, it seems many other countries do allow public photography and filming within reasonable limits. On a side tangent, I wonder if this means that German media uses many less public crowd shots than non-German media channels, if only because of the stricter privacy laws that would require individual consent for any person showing up in the image or frame. [1] http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20130625-your-private-data-is-showing http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20130625-your-private-data-... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesdatenschutzgesetz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesdatenschutzgesetz
tzs 11y ago
There are numerous webcams online showing German public spaces, streaming live and offering access to archived views. Are these illegal, or is there some kind of exception for when the surveillance is for public broadcast, or what?
wott 11y ago
Same in France. About webcams, AFAIK, the exception is either because people and car plates cannot be identified clearly for the image quality (and frequency) is low, or because they asked for a special authorisation.