Is it legal to be filmed without consent?
Generally, in the U.S. video filming people who are in a public place without their consent (whether police or a private citizen), is 100\% legal. Audio recording is a much hairier issue. It is likely to be illegal in many states.
What are the laws around filming in public?
It is legal to photograph or videotape anything and anyone on any public property, within reasonable community standards. Photographing or videotaping a tourist attraction, whether publicly or privately owned, is generally considered legal, unless explicitly prohibited by a specific law or statute.
Can I stop someone from filming me?
Generally speaking, in the U.S., no one has an expectation of privacy in a public place. So an ordinary person may not require you to stop filming. They can ask, but you’re allowed to refuse their request and continue filming. This is true whether you’re taking still photos or video in one form or another.
Is it legal to film someone without permission?
Assuming you’re filming them in a public place, the answer is usually “yes.” But is it wise to film somebody without permission? The answer to that question is not so clear. A recent case involving tennis star Maria Sharapova helps to illustrate the problem.
Do you have the right to film people in public places?
Even though you may have the right to film people in a public place, that right must be heavily qualified and subjected to a host of legal nuances and distinctions. To complicate matters further, laws differ from state to state and from country to country.
Do You Know Your Rights as a documentary filmmaker?
Knowing your rights as a documentary filmmaker—and having the right forms to back them up—is the armor you need to chase the biggest stories of our times. If you’ve got a camera rolling in the midst of a police-protestor stand off at Standing Rock, you’re sure as hell not going to take time to pass out release forms.
What happens if you fail to obtain consent to film?
Failure to obtain the subject’s consent amounts to a criminal offence, and the maximum penalty is up to two years’ imprisonment. If the subject is under 16 years of age, the prison sentence increases, up to five years. Filming a person’s private parts (s91L of the Crimes Act).