Are you permitted to share images and videos taken within your professional environment?
In the digital age, sharing photos and videos from the workplace has become commonplace. However, it's essential to remember that such content can potentially breach the rights and interests of individuals and employers. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind.
Nathalie Oberthür, a specialist lawyer for employment law, advises that when creating and publishing image and video recordings, one should be mindful of the personality rights of others. This means avoiding any content that may reveal the identity of others, as this could potentially breach their personality rights.
Small details in photos or videos can quickly become major issues that breach data protection rights. For instance, facial images and other identifiable features are considered personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Therefore, it's crucial to obtain informed consent from all identifiable individuals featured in the photos or videos.
Complying with data protection regulations is also essential. This means treating images containing identifiable people as personal data, ensuring appropriate safeguards, and documenting protocols for data handling and storage.
Respecting the employer’s business interests is another crucial factor. This means ensuring that photos and videos do not reveal confidential business information or sensitive operational details, and conforming to company policies on media use and disclosures.
When it comes to device and media use, especially with company-issued devices or cloud storage systems, it's important to apply clear policies. This helps clarify ownership and rights over images taken or stored on business-managed equipment.
Limiting workplace surveillance or recording to lawful purposes is also vital. This means ensuring video surveillance complies with legal requirements around worker privacy.
Lastly, implementing secure data management practices is crucial. This includes controlled access to stored photos/videos, compliance with applicable privacy laws, and removal or anonymization where needed to prevent unnecessary exposure of personal data.
In summary, businesses must ensure any publication of workplace photos/videos carefully considers legal consent requirements, GDPR compliance for personal data, individuals’ personality rights, internal data/security policies, and protection of proprietary business information to avoid regulatory violations and respect all parties’ interests.
It's important to note that the potential for workplace recordings to harm the employer's business interests is an important factor to consider when deciding whether or not to publish them. A video showing a specific person is present in the company, for example, should not be published without the consent of the employer and all visible persons.
Violating data protection rights can have serious consequences for both the individual and the employer. Therefore, it's crucial to approach the sharing of workplace photos and videos with care and respect for all parties involved.
In the realm of personal-finance management, employing advanced technology can streamline and secure financial transactions. For instance, mobile banking apps use encryption to protect sensitive information, similar to how workplace videos must comply with data protection regulations to safeguard personal data.
Nathalie Oberthür's advice on privacy rights extended to technology use, reminding us to be mindful of personal-finance information when sharing screenshots or recordings, especially those involving sensitive financial details, just as one should be cautious with workplace photos and videos that reveal identifiable features.
