Hacker News Reader

Comment by rithdmc | Hacker News Reader

> It's illegal to record people in public spaces in Germany.

That's wild. In Ireland, there's no expectation of privacy in a public place, so you can record without issue.

In Sweden for instance it's a bit in-between (unless the law has changed). You're allowed to film in public if you're using a non-stationary camera, but stationary cameras require a permit.

That's an important caveat. We kind of have something similar, in that if you install CCTV, and if it captures an area where people would expect privacy (ie, looking through a window, or into someone's back garden ... which has its own caveats around being a public place or not) you have a right to have that area removed from video coverage.

Yes, but youre not allowed to use it commercially afaik. Even a youtube clip which is monetised is commercial, I guess.

Yeah, Germany is different here. I am not 100% sure, but in Germany it is allowed if you are not focusing on any particular individual person. It is difficult to argue in absolute terms, which is why most consider public photos forbidden completely (unless for private/personal, very narrow use). Nowadays, in Germany, it has helped me to consider everything forbidden, unless it is explicitly allowed somewhere.

That would be the right thing. You want to film something, you don't use people passing by as a free extra and don't publish the details where and with whom they were going online. Is is just some American thing that they do not care about feelings of other people.

If you have any respect, don't film other people or at least blur them.

It's because of history. That's why Germany also resisted Google Street View initially.

That's pretty understandable, and I've no particular issue with it (although I'm now aware I broke quite a few photo- and video- laws when I was last in Berlin ;) )

Reply on news.ycombinator.com