A professional photographer in California before the age of the Internet, explained with great emphasis that is was not legal at that time to take photos of people for commercial purposes without a signed consent form. Following that talk, I was handed real consent forms to carry with me. At that time, privacy and commercial rights for resale were taken seriously. It is a social contract between strangers, and yes people can get very agitated.

Fast forward to the age of the smart phone. The expansion happened so fast, for so many.. and with the marketing commercials and endless hype on using the phone to take "fun vacation photos" or whatever, and the explosion of Facebook uploads with "friends at a party" .. that social contract changed rapidly. New adoptors are often under 25 years old, and may not have heard of this formal signed consent form.

Now, mass facial recognition at public events is "no big thing" ? Everyone has heard in California from someone that "privacy is dead - get over it" ? Then, covid-19 and masks. Now lots of people wear masks on the street or on public transport, with questionable effectiveness over disease prevention, but is that the only reason? Young thugs dudes certainly wear masks with hoodies every day here..

This situation is not settled and still evolving.