Private use and social media

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I'm a little confused after a conversation (if you can call it that) I had with a security guard last week regarding taking pics on privately owned public space.....Basically, I was in Belfast and took a few pics of the massive Game of Thrones set they are building in the Titanic quarter when a security guard approached me demanding I let him see the pics I was taking...I told him to slide on as he has no authority to demand this to which he said I was on private property (news to me) and he did have the authority to see the pics...He didn't get to see the pics apparently the police were called?? they never arrived!! and I continued on with my business...after some research, it turns out that the ground is indeed private and is owned by Belfast Harbor commission even though there is no way of telling this as there are no signs or no gates to go through to get onto the land, there's hotels car showrooms cafes etc and its probably one of the most photographed areas of Belfast with the Titanic building and the Harland & Wolff cranes. I emailed the Belfast Harbor commission and the Titanic quarter management both who emailed me back saying the same thing its private ground but its open to the public and photography is allowed as long as it's for private non-commercial use.

This brings me to my question if you share something on Facebook, Instagram or even on here is that still considered private use??

Heres 2 of the pics I took and on a funny side note when the security guard was getting on to me one of those hop on hop off sightseeing buses passed us and everyone on the bus took pics of the set as its basically in the middle of Belfast lol

DSC_3905 by chris canavan, on Flickr

DSC_3904-2 by chris canavan, on Flickr
 
There’s a lot of private land / spaces where the public are allowed free access to. The most obvious one than springs to mind is shopping centres.

To answer your question ^^ as post above.
 
The land is................ private but open to the public.
Your pictures are.......private but open to the public.
Problem solved.

PS I suspect the issue was the subject of you photo's, film makers are notoriously secretive. (But no, he has no right to see your pictures.)
 
Make his day, …………….tell him you got an exclusive, so good that you can't share it!

Have some sympathy, he has a boring job maybe on minimum wages and you are the highlight of his day!

Private land…he is within his rights and this is a common problem these days. There might be a minuscule sign hidden under a dustbin somewhere, but it is still private and they can ask you to move on. And no, social media is not private it is public in most cases, including websites and forums.
 
This brings me to my question if you share something on Facebook, Instagram or even on here is that still considered private use??

I was just about to answer and advise on your question re sharing your pics when

Heres 2 of the pics I took

So you really didn't care either way did you.......
 
I was just about to answer and advise on your question re sharing your pics when



So you really didn't care either way did you.......
I shared the pics to give some context and show how the set is in public view.
 
As far as I understand, if the place is visible to the public, you're free to photograph it and post those photos online, unless you're using the photos commercially, in which case you would need permission from the site owner or landlord etc.

Not strictly true, if photographing from Private land there may be restrictions regarding ANY photography.
 
Easiest way if the security people get stroppy is to delete, (if you have sandisk memory cards) don't know about other makes. When home just use the recovery program sandisk have. These morons know so little about photography it is an easy opt out
 
As far as I understand, if the place is visible to the public, you're free to photograph it and post those photos online, unless you're using the photos commercially, in which case you would need permission from the site owner or landlord etc.
Not sure that this would apply to some government installations though.
 
The law is quite clear. If you are standing on public land such as a footpath then feel free to photograph anything you see. No security guard has the right to see your recorded images and no one including the Police has the right or authority to order you to delete them which constitutes destruction of property and therefore requires a court order. I generally don’t engage with security guards if they try and question me about what I am photographing from a public space. Once you are stood on private land such as in a Westfield shopping centre or someone’s garden that’s a whole new ball of wax.....
 
I’m going to guess that you took these with a big ole DSLR and a big ole lens? And if so, had you been using a compact, or a phone, he probably wouldn’t have batted an eyelash.

I’m only guessing...
 
The law is quite clear. If you are standing on public land such as a footpath then feel free to photograph anything you see. No security guard has the right to see your recorded images and no one including the Police has the right or authority to order you to delete them which constitutes destruction of property and therefore requires a court order. I generally don’t engage with security guards if they try and question me about what I am photographing from a public space. Once you are stood on private land such as in a Westfield shopping centre or someone’s garden that’s a whole new ball of wax.....


Not entirely true, as mentioned in the post before yours there are scheduled areas detailed in the Official Secrets Act where photography is considered illegal, even from public land.

There are also laws covering indecency and harassment that would prevent photography under certain circumstances.

Sweeping generalisations are a bit dodgy when it comes to the law!
 
That’s news to me. Harrasment laws cover a sequence of at least 2 events. If you walk past me in the street and I take your picture there is nothing you can do about it. In the UK there is no right to privacy in a public place. Indecency laws have nothing to do with taking a photo, I can take a photo of an indecent act and unless children/animals are involved not worry about it, unlike those carrying out the act.....

Please state the OSA scheduled areas. The old Rover factory in Oxford used to have signs outside saying no photography, I ignored those as well.....
 
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In the UK there is no right to privacy in a public place.


Actually there is. For example someone being treated in the back of an ambulance has an expectation of privacy, just as someone kneeling at prayer in a cathedral does.

As for the harassment and indecency laws - you implied that it was OK to photograph at any time. I'm supplying examples of when it may not be.

Not exactly my fault if you don't like the truth.
 
In the back of an Ambulance isn’t a public place........as for the OSA scheduled places, a Google brings up hundreds of irrelevant hits including train stations, army camps and even underground mines.....
 
That’s news to me. Harrasment laws cover a sequence of at least 2 events. If you walk past me in the street and I take your picture there is nothing you can do about it. .

Actually someone could hit you and take your camera.
 
As far as I understand, if the place is visible to the public, you're free to photograph it and post those photos online, unless you're using the photos commercially, in which case you would need permission from the site owner or landlord etc.

Wouldn't try taking snaps of somewhere like Sellafield using that logic
 
In the back of an Ambulance isn’t a public place..........
If the paramedics are treating someone on the pavement prior to putting them in the ambulance, they (patient and ambulance crew) have a clear expectation of privacy. There are many other specific exceptions to the general lack of expectation of privacy in a public place.
 
Have to say i'm surprised, not sure you would be able to get close without some of interest from the civil nuclear police force
Had a tour of Sizewell booked, they had very strict rules and that included photography

There are multiple images of Sellafield for licence by Getty Images.
It's all relative, if you are stupid you might get called out but in general terms it is not unlawful (civil or criminal) to photograph private property from public land.
I wouldn't expect them to allow you to photograph inside.
 
In the back of an Ambulance isn’t a public place........as for the OSA scheduled places, a Google brings up hundreds of irrelevant hits including train stations, army camps and even underground mines.....
Not sure that inside an ambulance is not public. Inside your motor vehicle is public in the sense that you can be prosecuted for having things in it (eg knives) that are illegal to have in a public space.
 
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