posting pictures of students on Yelp/FB

[Saigo1]

What do you think about displaying group photos of the dojo's pupils on Yelp or Facebook?
I am aware that some people want privacy because I have seen instances when the owner has blurred out faces.
Since they are inside your place of business, should you get permission before taking pictures there or just do as you please?

 

[Dirty Dog]

You get permission. Is this even something to be debated?

 

[MetalBoar]

You get permission. Is this even something to be debated?

It shouldn't need to be debated, but I've had my photo used like this and in something closer to an ad without even knowing it had been taken. So, I guess it needs to be said that you ought to get permission.

 

[Steve]

What do you think about displaying group photos of the dojo's pupils on Yelp or Facebook?
I am aware that some people want privacy because I have seen instances when the owner has blurred out faces.
Since they are inside your place of business, should you get permission before taking pictures there or just do as you please?

Are you violating their right to privacy or doing anything illegal? Probably not.
Are you making your pupils happy by doing so? Again, probably not.

What you CAN do and what you SHOULD do aren't always the same thing. Generally, though, people have no right to privacy in a public space. If you're someplace you have a right to be and you're taking pictures of people who are themselves in a public space, you're probably fine from a legal standpoint.

 

[MetalBoar]

Are you violating their right to privacy or doing anything illegal? Probably not.
Are you making your pupils happy by doing so? Again, probably not.

What you CAN do and what you SHOULD do aren't always the same thing. Generally, though, people have no right to privacy in a public space. If you're someplace you have a right to be and you're taking pictures of people who are themselves in a public space, you're probably fine from a legal standpoint.

This part can be a little complicated if the image is used for commercial purposes, depending on where you live. I'm far from an expert on this and don't know where the line between commercial and non-commercial falls when it comes to something like group class photos, but I'm pretty confident that if you were in California and your MA school took a picture of you and used it on their website in a way that was obviously about marketing their school, that they would need your consent under CA law.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

This part can be a little complicated if the image is used for commercial purposes, depending on where you live. I'm far from an expert on this and don't know where the line between commercial and non-commercial falls when it comes to something like group class photos, but I'm pretty confident that if you were in California and your MA school took a picture of you and used it on their website in a way that was obviously about marketing their school, that they would need your consent under CA law.

Here is an article referencing it for california, for anyone curious: https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/p...of-privacy-california-entertainment-law-34141

Based on it, you're correct. If they're using your picture specifically for marketing/advertisement purposes (which I would assume yelp counts for that), then it's a violation of your rights.

 

[Steve]

Thanks for that, guys. Good information.

 

[TularosaKungFu]

Guy I grew up with does a karate dojo and uses student pictures to show accomplishments and activities? Kinda advertising without advertising. They all seem happy to show their stuff?
I know about the bads, but dont see em there?

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Thanks for making this post, because I just started making YouTube videos and it didn't immediately occur to me that some of my students might not want to show up in a public video. So now I'm making sure to tell anyone that doesn't want to be seen to move out of the way of the camera as I demonstrate things.

 

[Darren]

Thought about this often at my dojo you sign up with you agreeing to allow your picture to be posted which I don’t care almost always you have LEO’S training with you also, now take for example someone with a criminal background and/or some no good person that wants to learn martial arts to prey or anything else anyone like that don’t want there picture taken! One of the good ways to keep people like that out!!!!!

 

[MetalBoar]

Thought about this often at my dojo you sign up with you agreeing to allow your picture to be posted which I don’t care almost always you have LEO’S training with you also, now take for example someone with a criminal background and/or some no good person that wants to learn martial arts to prey or anything else anyone like that don’t want there picture taken! One of the good ways to keep people like that out!!!!!

I'm not a criminal and it also alienates me. I'm a bit of a privacy nutter and I feel it's pretty disrespectful to use my image without my consent. I've done a lot of work that's adjacent to IT security and some huge percentage of the people working in that field are A) not criminals, and B) much more concerned about their privacy than I am and would not be OK with the use of their image without consent. I'm sure there are plenty of other classes of people, who are not criminals, who feel similarly.

I also think it's super disrespectful to use my image for marketing purposes without my consent. If you're making money from my image without permission it's effectively a kind of theft, at least in a number of US states, and in my opinion.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

What do you think about displaying group photos of the dojo's pupils on Yelp or Facebook?
I am aware that some people want privacy because I have seen instances when the owner has blurred out faces.
Since they are inside your place of business, should you get permission before taking pictures there or just do as you please?

I included a likeness waiver with the standard new student package. I don’t know what my instructor did about it.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I have posted videos (or pictures) of my students, or my friends who had passed away. IMO, the more that I can post their videos (or pictures) online, the more that I can help them to be recognized for their contribution to the MA world.

When a

- tiger is dead, it's skin will be hung on the wall.
- geese flies over, it's sound will remain in the sky.
- person passes away, his video (or picture) will remain online.

 

[Darren]

I'm not a criminal and it also alienates me. I'm a bit of a privacy nutter and I feel it's pretty disrespectful to use my image without my consent. I've done a lot of work that's adjacent to IT security and some huge percentage of the people working in that field are A) not criminals, and B) much more concerned about their privacy than I am and would not be OK with the use of their image without consent. I'm sure there are plenty of other classes of people, who are not criminals, who feel similarly.

I also think it's super disrespectful to use my image for marketing purposes without my consent. If you're making money from my image without permission it's effectively a kind of theft, at least in a number of US states, and in my opinion.

If it’s a good Instructor and he really wants to help me and other people that really wants to learn and he wants to grow his business and he seems to not be in it for the money and loves to teach! Then picture away!! Of course I can understand your desire for privacy too! To each his own!!!!

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Thought about this often at my dojo you sign up with you agreeing to allow your picture to be posted which I don’t care almost always you have LEO’S training with you also, now take for example someone with a criminal background and/or some no good person that wants to learn martial arts to prey or anything else anyone like that don’t want there picture taken! One of the good ways to keep people like that out!!!!!

Your logic here is flawed. I will ignore the people that are just security minded, as that was already addressed.

People with a criminal background and/or people doing bad things have no reason to hide their martial arts training. If anything, they may want their picture taken so that they can brag about it. The people who may want to have their picture taken is the people being abused, or past victims. They likely won't want their former/current attacker/abuser to know where they are, and a picture automatically tells them that. It also alerts people that they're training, which may piss off the person abusing them (as he/she wouldn't want their 'prey' to be able to fight back), and prevent them from leaving safely. It also can cause issues if someone has a stalker they're concerned about, which again would be a reason for them to train to begin with.

On a less extreme, but personal/anecdotal level, I worked with substance abusers who were on probation or parole. Some undoubtedly blame me for them ended in prison, as I informed their parole/probation officers of their drug use, attendance, and crimes I caught them committing (all of which they agreed I would tell their PO on sign up). As a result, I kept my social media barebones, and gave little information about myself/my whereabouts online. I would not have joined a school if I knew they were posting pictures of me training, and I could not opt out. Now, having left that field, and especially having left that state, I don't care.

So by taking requiring consent for pictures upon signing up, you are not keeping the bad people out, but their victims/potential victims.

 

[Darren]

Your logic here is flawed. I will ignore the people that are just security minded, as that was already addressed.

People with a criminal background and/or people doing bad things have no reason to hide their martial arts training. If anything, they may want their picture taken so that they can brag about it. The people who may want to have their picture taken is the people being abused, or past victims. They likely won't want their former/current attacker/abuser to know where they are, and a picture automatically tells them that. It also alerts people that they're training, which may piss off the person abusing them (as he/she wouldn't want their 'prey' to be able to fight back), and prevent them from leaving safely. It also can cause issues if someone has a stalker they're concerned about, which again would be a reason for them to train to begin with.

On a less extreme, but personal/anecdotal level, I worked with substance abusers who were on probation or parole. Some undoubtedly blame me for them ended in prison, as I informed their parole/probation officers of their drug use, attendance, and crimes I caught them committing (all of which they agreed I would tell their PO on sign up). As a result, I kept my social media barebones, and gave little information about myself/my whereabouts online. I would not have joined a school if I knew they were posting pictures of me training, and I could not opt out. Now, having left that field, and especially having left that state, I don't care.

So by taking requiring consent for pictures upon signing up, you are not keeping the bad people out, but their victims/potential victims.

Can see the the logic in this!!!!

 

[Saigo1]

Really interesting responses.
The reason I brought this up is because I've seen this problem arise and noticed that not many people like having pictures of themselves posted on Yelp, which gives instant access to millions upon millions of random people with the touch of a fingertip. Teachers will accommodate by blurring out the faces of the requesting student upon posting on Yelp.
I value my privacy as well, but I'd rather leave quietly and look for another school than cause a scene.