Photographers Rights And The Law In The UK - A brief guide for street photographers.
Know your rights when you're out with your camera.
Despite the law being clear on a citizen's rights to freely...
Photographers Rights And The Law In The UK - A brief guide for street photographers.
Know your rights when you're out with your camera.
Despite the law being clear on a citizen's rights to freely take pictures in public places (with a few restrictions) there is growing evidence of the police, police community support officers (PCSOs), security guards and general jobsworths failing to respect the rights of photographers going about their lawful business.
UPDATE: In the UK, a new "Counter Terrorism Act" came into force on 16th February 2009. It contains an amendment to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000. This amendment will make it an offence, punishable by up to ten years imprisonment, to publish or elicit information about any police constable "of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".
Furthermore, Schedule 7 of the Bill applies this amendment to internet service providers and web hosting services. This means they will have a legal duty to remove all sites perceived to fall under this offence, and has provisions for use at home and abroad.
It is unclear what information will be classed as useful to terrorists, but due to this ambiguous wording, the Bill has implications for bloggers, journalists, photographers, activists and anyone who values freedom of speech.
We must show that we won't be intimidated, or called terrorists for resisting or monitoring repressive policing.
Fitwatch are one of the groups who could be targeted by this new legislation. Fitwatch, started two years ago by activists, resists and opposes the use of Forward Intelligence Teams (FIT) on demonstrations. FIT are police officers who photograph, follow, and generally intimidate protesters. They bring, in the words of Jacqui Smith, harassment style policing to protests.
As part of this opposition, Fitwatch run a blog http://www.fitwatch.blogspot.com/ where they share information about these officers. We feel this blog could be under threat from this new legislation.
Whilst Fitwatch may not like officers who act outside of the law, they are certainly not terrorists.
Neither are:
* people filming, and uploading to Youtube, footage of police officers acting illegally.
* bloggers writing about being randomly stopped and searched.
* journalists publishing details of corrupt or racist cops.
* photographers publishing photographs of police on protests.
The list goes on, but all are under threat.
This legislation not only attempts to stifle our ability to hold the police force to account for their actions, but also attacks the principles of open publishing on the internet. It must be resisted.
Please join the mass action and oppose this ludicrous law.
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glaxev ...dont be daft!!!......... you KNOW it's morraly WRONG to drink and drive any vehicle. this is about "jobsworths" "officers" that are basicly corperate pollicy enforcement agents misusing "the terrorism act" and thats a fact!
drink driving is up there on my list with playing russian roulette.
marxist theory has been dragged through the mud due to the coldwar and the ever expansion of the USSR and its ideologies. if you say you belive in social ideas you are immediately branded a communist by ignorant, brainwashed morons who live in a world of 20th century propoganda. Labour who are the the party in power in the UK are democratic socialists. socialism is different to communism; but both have the same roots; marxism. however communism as you know it is a tyranical version of marxism.
so please; dont speak out in ignorance because if it wasnt for marxist principles you would be working 14 hours a day; no breaks; 6 or 7 days a week; no holidays; little pay; eduction and healthcare would only be affordable to the rich and you would spend your life in capitalistic slavery; and probably die of malnutrition or a contracted disease.
marxist scum yeh? do you even know the works of marxism? think you are getting confused with leninism; socialism in itself is not an evil; in fact it moderates corporate cowboys and empowers the working class with unions and liberalist ideologies. leninism is the idea of an autonomous dicatorship based around marxist theory; which is paradoxical and really only takes elements of equality and the destruction of the middle and uppclass into account; not liberal free will.
Pretty sad..he had to call in to see if the guy was breaking the law!! LOL..how can you try to enforce something you know nothing about..How bout getting a job at McDonalds..perhaps you could do better there!
@ravehead Surely though if we all abide by common law and common law ONLY that means that it would be perfectly legal for anyone to drink drive around school closing time in a 4x4 while posessing a rocket launcher and a couple of kilos of crack coaine right ?
Classic. From my understanding it is legal to film in a public place. As long as you're not causing a disturbance or committing a crime by filming it is totally legal. If you were filming inside through someones window of someones house that is illegal and unethical. If I'm out taking still photos and there are people walking past I tend to wait til they've passed before taking the photo. That way the person doesn't feel uncomfortable. Plus it's usually a building, bridge, nice sunset, water.
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drink driving is up there on my list with playing russian roulette.
If you were filming inside through someones window of someones house that is illegal and unethical. If I'm out taking still photos and there are people walking past I tend to wait til they've passed before taking the photo. That way the person doesn't feel uncomfortable. Plus it's usually a building, bridge, nice sunset, water.