Consent for sharing photos and videos

Do you have consent or permission to share a photo or video of someone?

In short:

Consent is the informed and freely given agreement to engage in an activity, or permission for a specific thing to happen.
You should always seek consent before sharing a photo or video.
Consent is ongoing. Even if someone has said yes to an image being posted, they can change their mind and retract their consent.
If someone asks you to remove a photo or video, you should do it no questions asked.

What is consent when it comes to sharing photos and videos?

If you’re going to share any images or videos online, it’s best to make sure the people who are featured in the photos or videos are OK with it too. Ask yourself, ‘Do I have consent or permission to share a photo or video of someone?’

When it comes to getting consent before uploading or sharing photos or videos, here is what you need to know.

Tips for consent to share photos and videos

1. Ask before taking the photo or video

When recording someone, it’s important to check your intentions. Are you taking an image to mock someone? Are they comfortable having their image taken? If they aren’t, it’s probably best to put the phone or camera away.

In the SCC College ICT Acceptable Use Policy Agreement, students agree to ‘not take, distribute or alter images or videos of anyone without their permission (consent)’.

2. Ask before sharing photos of people and respect their decision

It’s that simple! If they say they’re uncomfortable with a photo, then respect their decision.

3. If someone asks you to remove an image or video of them, do it

Respecting the choices and decisions your mates make about their personal privacy means they are more likely to respect your choices and decisions too.

4. Follow your instincts and be smart about what you post

If you don’t feel good about posting a photo or video of someone because you think it could have long term consequences for them, don’t post it.

Remember: Once you post or share something, you can lose control of the content. This can have devastating consequences or impact the mental health of people who may not have wanted the image to be shared in the first place. It could even mean that you, or your friends, miss out on jobs or other opportunities in the future.

Be an upstander

If you see someone recording, or taking a photo of someone else without their consent, and you feel comfortable and safe to do so, you can help the person being targeted. This is called being an upstander.

Check in on the person who appears in the image or video. If someone’s image has been shared without their consent and you know the person who is being targeted, reach out to them. Let them know you have their back and make sure they are OK.
Stop the sharing of embarrassing and inappropriate content of others. If someone sends you a photo or video that you know would be embarrassing for the person in it, don’t forward it to other people. Break the chain of disrespect. You can also tell the person who originally sent it to you to stop forwarding it on too. This is especially important if the images that were sent to you are nudes.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people/consent-sharing-photos-videos

Consent for sharing photos and videos