New Twitter policy on photographs

[IanDavidson]

I am going to break my self imposed exile on here as I believe this is most important

 

It would appear that Twitter has banned the use of images of individuals where the tog does not have the permission of the individual 

Twitter said ‘Beginning today, we will not allow the sharing of private media, such as images or videos of private individuals without their consent’ and an additional Tweet states ‘Sharing images is an important part of folks' experience on Twitter. People should have a choice in determining whether or not a photo is shared publicly. To that end we are expanding the scope of our Private Information Policy.’

A slippery slope!!!!!

 

There are limited exceptions but I am unsure where this leaves news photography.

[Mr Standfast]

Thinking aloud...

 

Sounds unworkable and naive. 

Curious how Facebook  and Instagram will go.

It may be laughable but not voicing a concern may lead to this drifting into an accepted rule!

 

🤔

[Harry Harrison]

I raised this earlier in the week, didn't get much traction on here, I believe that Nick Turpin actually had a tweet removed for raising it on Twitter. The wording is ambiguous but on the face of it could give them the right to do as they please.

 

https://discussion.alamy.com/topic/15106-twitter-will-remove-images-tweeted-without-consent/?tab=comments#comment-305092

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by Harry Harrison

[Jansos]

Could that possibly be linked to the stepping down of Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey as  CEO of the company, or is that just coincidence? 
Not sure how it could be monitored or enforced. Slippery slope.

[Jill Morgan]

3 hours ago, Harry Harrison said:

I raised this earlier in the week, didn't get much traction on here, I believe that Nick Turpin actually had a tweet removed for raising it on Twitter. The wording is ambiguous but on the face of it could give them the right to do as they please.

 

https://discussion.alamy.com/topic/15106-twitter-will-remove-images-tweeted-without-consent/?tab=comments#comment-305092

 

 

Of course they can do as they please, they are an independent company and can decide what can be posted on their site.  No one has a "right" to post on any social media site.  We have just become dependent on social media.  If YouTube did this, half their videos would disappear.

 

Jill

[spacecadet]

If you read on, it says that it won't be proactive, only respond to complaints, and won't apply to public figures.

[Harry Harrison]

I think the central issue is that the actual rule change is this addition to those aspects that cannot be shared on Twitter, namely:

 

"media of private individuals without the permission of the person(s) depicted."

 

Up until now this list included contact details, documents, financial information, biometric data etc. so although Twitter can of course choose to do as they please they have to conform to their published rules, and until now those rules haven't concerned general images and videos.  They go on to make various assertions regarding how they won't misuse this new power but I imagine they couldn't be held to account if they modified this approach in the future and that to me is the problem. They also say that they will only take action if there is an actual complaint but that is not what the rule says, the rule says that you mustn't upload unless you have permission, and I think that is the ambiguity that should be cleared up. 

 

It doesn't affect me at all but if in the future it means that 'street photography' cannot be uploaded then it will be a poorer place. News photography should be safer but it does create a situation where some news pictures could be considered more equal than others. Last word to Nick Turpin, who of course started as a news photographer on the Independent before pioneering street photography with his In-Public website.

 

https://twitter.com/NickTurpin/status/1466696137470005250

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 6, 2021 by Harry Harrison

[Phil Crean]

18 hours ago, Harry Harrison said:

pioneering street photography

I think street photography has been around a lot longer than Nick 🤣

 

Must say he has dragged it into a the 21st century though...😏

 

Phil

 

[Harry Harrison]

7 minutes ago, Phil Crean said:

I think street photography has been around a lot longer than Nick 🤣

 

Must say he has dragged it into a the 21st century though...😏

Yes, he popularised it I think, made it into something that photographers, and even buyers, could identify with, the In-Public site was and is pretty influential. There was a falling out a couple of years ago I think, mainly over whether manipulated images should be allowed, but he seems to have regrouped with a much smaller set of photographers, and one of this parish of course. I seem to take many of my favourite pictures in fields, does that count?

[Phil Crean]

10 minutes ago, Harry Harrison said:

I seem to take many of my favourite pictures in fields, does that count?

Absolutely! 😁

 

Phil

[M.Chapman]

More info and discussion here

 

https://www.dpreview.com/news/2860674996/twitter-bans-posting-photos-of-people-without-their-explicit-consent-to-do-so?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2021-december-09&ref_=pe_1822230_616606220_dpr_nl_508_28

 

Mark

[Harry Harrison]

It does seem like a poorly thought out mess, according to this from Euronews Twitter seem pretty relaxed about the possibly unforeseen consequences of this change, for example the removal of videos of "two right-wing extremists in public planning violent assaults" (Chad Loder). They are testing a new way of reporting misuse on a small group in the US and plan to introduce changes in the new year.

 

https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/12/08/twitter-rolls-out-new-tweet-reporting-process-amid-complaints-of-system-misuse

[M.Chapman]

I think another danger is that publicity around these new "rules" will reinforce the false belief amongst sections of the population that it is illegal to photograph anyone in a public place without their permission. I'm already wary of even pointing my camera in the direction strangers (as I've already been challenged more than once) and this may make it worse. 

 

Mark

[Betty LaRue]

On 05/12/2021 at 05:54, Jansos said:

Could that possibly be linked to the stepping down of Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey as  CEO of the company, or is that just coincidence? 
Not sure how it could be monitored or enforced. Slippery slope.

As an aside, there’s been a small rash of CEO “stepping down” actions since the Ghislaine Maxwell trial began. I’m not suggesting impropriety, just noticing only because I saw it brought up elsewhere.

[Jansos]

3 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

As an aside, there’s been a small rash of CEO “stepping down” actions since the Ghislaine Maxwell trial began. I’m not suggesting impropriety, just noticing only because I saw it brought up elsewhere.

I imagine quite a few more 'stepping downs' will follow to ensure that large TNCs are not tarnished with that association. They must think we are all ultra dim not to see through their shenanigans and links!