2022
Hi, fellow Local guides!!
My name is Meri ( Estarlina if you will : )) And I wanted to ask you about a little question I have.
As a Local guide, I like to take several pictures to share the most accurate experience with the people, so they can see what that place looks or feels like, and so, I find myself taking pictures of many places where there are other people enjoying that place as well.
Since the begging in I decided that, just in case, all those photos where there were people with the faces showing in the photo, I would blurry them. Just to make sure I was not invading anyone privacity.
But I would like to know if there are any official consensus, or if it depends on the country, or what do you guys do about it, do you just put the picture as it is?
I've seen some of them around the reviews on google maps, and I was a little bit concerned, but I want to know if you try to just not include people, or if you blur the faces as well.
I would also like to congratulate all of you for your amazing work, this is such a lovely community to be part of!!
Thank you all and hope to hear your thoughts on the matter!
Have a lovely day!!
PD: Take this image for example 🙂
Accepted Solutions
Hello Meri,
Your question isn't really so little, it's actually wholly composed in a post! But I can contribute my answer as well, because I also blur my photos to an extent. I respect the privacy of people and also them as a whole, so while I'm going through any processing of my photos, I do a subtle blur and I base it on quite a few personal rules.
But first, I'll show you four different photos in how I blur, and then I'll list some of my personal pointers below.
- For privacy purposes, I do respect people in their workplaces, as there are some people who do not want to be identified or broadcasted as an employee in a certain place. For example, there are some people who might not appreciate being outed as a KFC staff member, or a cook in a restaurant when their extended family expected them to be studying (radical example). This is shown in three of the photos above.
- In a thumbnail, if the face is still quite identifiable without having a proper look, then the face is drawing too much attention, so I will blur it out. In the third photo, there is a face that isn't blurred, but is far too small to be identified.
- If an individual has a photo that might embarrass them, say if they look silly and might complain or in the middle of eating, to guard them I'll blur them. Inversely, if the facial expression presented by the individual is delightful and positive therefore presenting the place well, I might consider their facial expression as an indicator of the businesses' calibre and flair. This is all at your discretion however.
- There are instances where someone might be carrying or partaking in particular activities, such as being photographed at a club, holding a bottle of alcohol (i.e. the fourth picture) or smoking. For sensitivity purposes, they will also be blurred.
- In public spaces, people will inevitably be photographed. There are many laws and policies that advise this is okay, so long as it may be completely candid. I don't normally blur people out unless their face is clearly identifiable or are near any businesses of objectionable content (see next point)
- I will always blur out people who are near or within places that require a paramount degree of privacy. This includes medical centres, adult stores, government departments or offices.
- Most (if not all) kids or children will be blurred.
There isn't really a consensus as to what should be blurred or not, but I always ensure that I keep on top of the local laws when it comes to the photography of both people and private property. I usually strive to ensure that there aren't any people as subjects in the photo, but it's inevitable that they'll just be conveniently standing there. But as a matter of respect, I tend to take the empathetic route, and imagine how I would feel if I was the person(s) in the photo, whether I would appreciate being photographed in a certain place.
There is a page regarding Privacy for Maps User Contributed Content but they're pretty basic.
Also, I'm congratulating you @Estarlina for discovering and being a part of this community. Kudos to you. I hope what I've said makes sense.
Take care now!
Hello Meri,
Your question isn't really so little, it's actually wholly composed in a post! But I can contribute my answer as well, because I also blur my photos to an extent. I respect the privacy of people and also them as a whole, so while I'm going through any processing of my photos, I do a subtle blur and I base it on quite a few personal rules.
But first, I'll show you four different photos in how I blur, and then I'll list some of my personal pointers below.
- For privacy purposes, I do respect people in their workplaces, as there are some people who do not want to be identified or broadcasted as an employee in a certain place. For example, there are some people who might not appreciate being outed as a KFC staff member, or a cook in a restaurant when their extended family expected them to be studying (radical example). This is shown in three of the photos above.
- In a thumbnail, if the face is still quite identifiable without having a proper look, then the face is drawing too much attention, so I will blur it out. In the third photo, there is a face that isn't blurred, but is far too small to be identified.
- If an individual has a photo that might embarrass them, say if they look silly and might complain or in the middle of eating, to guard them I'll blur them. Inversely, if the facial expression presented by the individual is delightful and positive therefore presenting the place well, I might consider their facial expression as an indicator of the businesses' calibre and flair. This is all at your discretion however.
- There are instances where someone might be carrying or partaking in particular activities, such as being photographed at a club, holding a bottle of alcohol (i.e. the fourth picture) or smoking. For sensitivity purposes, they will also be blurred.
- In public spaces, people will inevitably be photographed. There are many laws and policies that advise this is okay, so long as it may be completely candid. I don't normally blur people out unless their face is clearly identifiable or are near any businesses of objectionable content (see next point)
- I will always blur out people who are near or within places that require a paramount degree of privacy. This includes medical centres, adult stores, government departments or offices.
- Most (if not all) kids or children will be blurred.
There isn't really a consensus as to what should be blurred or not, but I always ensure that I keep on top of the local laws when it comes to the photography of both people and private property. I usually strive to ensure that there aren't any people as subjects in the photo, but it's inevitable that they'll just be conveniently standing there. But as a matter of respect, I tend to take the empathetic route, and imagine how I would feel if I was the person(s) in the photo, whether I would appreciate being photographed in a certain place.
There is a page regarding Privacy for Maps User Contributed Content but they're pretty basic.
Also, I'm congratulating you @Estarlina for discovering and being a part of this community. Kudos to you. I hope what I've said makes sense.
Take care now!