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Employee image consent vs. social media

Hi Forum,

In our new world of GDPR compliance, I'm really keen to know how you are all tackling image consent.

We attend many events and use various social media platforms to keep customers informed of what we are doing.

In the past we have happily snapped and posted pictures of staff across these platforms (without issue). However, I realise this is not the way forward.

In some cases we can gain individual consent per picture, but at events this simply isn't possible.

Sales are understandably unhappy with us hampering their progress, so I have had to talk one of the managers of the ceiling this morning.

I want to find a sensible route to gaining consent (maybe per event) for images to be used and would love to hear how others are going about it.

Another example of GDPR and a modern business environment colliding! 

Thanks!

Anna

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  • As far as I'm aware photography of a person in a public place is perfectly legal and doesn't fall foul of any data protection breaches. As far as I know this covers events such as this assuming everyone has the right to be there, but not private property. So I guess it depends where exactly your events take place?
  • In reply to Meg:

    Thank you for your reply.
    I'm concerned about employee's rather than the general public. So consent would extend to our website/marketing material/training etc as well.
    I want to gain consent without expecting people to sign their image rights over to us! I want to be able to react quickly to social media, without gaining consent for each picture.
  • In reply to Anna Morris:

    You can cover this in your privacy notice for staff - explaining that you have a legitimate interest to take pictures at this kind of event that will include staff, and that those pictures will be used in publications, social media, your website etc. You can then ensure that staff have a method of letting you know if there is a specific reason for them not to be included, which would outweigh the organisation's legitimate interest.
  • Steve Bridger

    | 0 Posts

    Community Manager

    13 Jul, 2018 16:27

    In reply to Anna Morris:

    Hi Anna... and welcome back :)

    A couple of relevant threads here:

    www2.cipd.co.uk/.../67938

    www2.cipd.co.uk/.../68703

  • I can think of a million and one reasons why someone might not like their image on a public social media platform - why not ensure that any snaps are of people who actually dont mind their photo being used in this way? I think it will be a select few who wont want their image used, I am uncomfortable with pursuing a minority and questioning them rather than going with the willing majority.
  • Hi Anna,

    When I ran a charity event a couple of years ago we had the same problem. We overcame it by using coloured stickers for people to wear which were given out at the start of the event - green for people who were happy to have their pictures used and red for those who weren't. We then only used pictures where the green stickers were clearly visible, or where the people couldn't be identified (back of their head, or blurred in the background, etc)

    Maybe you could do something similar.

    Joanne