Video: Would you delete a photo of someone if they asked you to?

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This interesting video by Weekly Imogen takes a look at a dilemma many street photographers may have found themselves in (or might expect to find themselves in eventually): being confronted on the street and forced to delete an image they've captured of a stranger.

In Australia there are no publicity or personality rights, and there is no right to privacy that protects a person’s image. As such, if someone is in a public place with no reasonable expectation of privacy, taking pictures of them is considered acceptable.

So this means if you're out shooting in a public place, it is generally possible to take photographs without asking permission. This also extends to taking photographs of buildings and sites. 

That said there are instances where taking images in public places may not be appropriate, despite being legal. And the best response to being asked to delete an image you've taken of someone might be to do as requested, rather than spouting legalities back at them. Speaking of which, you can read more about these at the useful Arts Law resource here.

What do you think? Have you ever been asked to delete an image and done it? Let us know in the comments.

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