Oh, the irony!
That was the first thing I thought when I read that Randi Zuckerberg was angry because a family photo she posted to her “friends only” Facebook page was reposted on Twitter.
It’s ironic, of course, because Zuckerberg’s brother, Mark, is the founder of Facebook, a tool we use multiple times a day to willingly share pieces of our private lives.
Of course, Randi, like the rest of us, understands that what she shares online is no longer private information. Her argument was that sharing the photo without her permission was rude. After the photo was posted, she tweeted:
“Digital etiquette: always ask permission before posting a friend’s photo publicly. It’s not about privacy settings, it’s about human decency.”
Really?
Her little etiquette lesson caused quite a backlash from Facebook users who painted themselves as victims of the site and from those who perhaps actually are.
The issue is the basis for this week’s ethics discussion in my media law and ethics class. I asked students to take a stance on the question:
“Should social media users be required to seek permission before sharing other people’s photos?”
In retrospect, I’m not sure “required” was the right phrasing for the question. Yes, even professors make mistakes. The spirit of the question was more one of whether people should ask permission.
The students were use to their knowledge of ethics to support their “yes” or “no” answer.
I’d love for you to weigh in on the issue.
Let’s Talk Nerdy!
Should social media users seek permission before sharing other people’s photos? What is the expectation for this practice?
chelelawson says
I appreciate this post. As someone who prides themselves on being an amateur photographer, when I take a pic I am particularly proud of I will of course post it to my social media accounts. I do this knowing that I run the risk of others using my photo without permission. I never mind if someone shares it because they like it however I know that others will take the pictures and claim them as their own. I have even heard stories where people have used photos that do not belong to them for marketing purposes. If you have the money you could copy write your photos. Personally, I am just sure to place a watermark on mine that says “Photo property of” or “Photo taken by” before I post it. You can do this simply with a click of a button in most photo editing software. Thanks again for posting…. remember – if you don’t want others sharing your photos – don’t post.
profkrg says
chelelawson You actually don’t need the copyright notice. If someone takes your original work and uses it for profit, it’s a copyright violation. Your creative work automatically has copyright protection.
BruceSallan says
IF we seek permission for every image we use, we’ll hardly be able to use images. That said, it’s not easy. YOU, Professor, have my permission to use ANY image of mine you find anywhere. At the very least, one should give credit if they use an image without permission…many really are in the public space, but making it official is the proxy of major web-site and companies, IMO…
profkrg says
BruceSallan I also think it’s unrealistic that people are going to ask permission, especially when sharing photos socially. I do wish people thought more about what they share and reshare. I also think it’s super shady for companies to use people’s photos with blanket permission that comes in those huge site usage or privacy policies. There’s just no good method of regulation or oversight. Interesting to think about.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Daddy’O!
AmyMccTobin says
I thought about this long and hard during this backlash, and, as much as I’d like some form of etiquette to exist, I think it’s impossible. I tell every single client – there is NO digital privacy. Ever.
profkrg says
AmyMccTobin This is truth. I remind my students of that all the time. I think “privacy settings” lull us into a false sense of comfort. There is no such thing as privacy online.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Amy.
chattyprof says
Darn it, darn it, darn it! This is such a tough one! I am thinking about fair use in the classroom and then I’m thinking about practical use.
chattyprof says
Wait! My comment posted and I wasn’t done… I think about that it would be nice to secure permission, but the bottom line is that if it exists online, it is somewhat fair game. Technically, however, when I have taught my students about copyright infringement, isn’t it copyright infringement to not secure the original owner’s permission, even online? Isn’t this the same as the royalty free sites and such? Am I totally confused? Ugh. I probably am!
profkrg says
chattyprof Well, these are interesting questions. I guess it depends on how we define creative works. Is every photo a creative work? Also, of course, social sharing sites are made for socially sharing, right? So if the person who is sharing isn’t making money off of the photo, copyright really isn’t the issue. It’s a big issue to think about.
Thanks, Ellen, for reading and commenting. I appreciate you.
amberrisme says
profkrg chattyprof I see a lot of pics that really would be a shame to be called creative work, but then again, I am no artist. 😉
amberrisme says
I call bullshit. The photo is no longer private when it gets uploaded. She really should get over herself. Sorry to be harsh, but it’s true.
profkrg says
amberrisme I agree. She certainly doesn’t get to complain. She shared it, and she’s not even close to a private person (not that it matters, because she shared it). I don’t even really consider her argument valid, but it generated a good question. Believe it or not, my class was split about 50/50 on whether people should ask for permission out of manners. I can’t wait to read their papers.
amberrisme says
profkrg amberrisme Should be some interesting feedback. I’ll look forward to hearing about how divided they are or united, either way.
PaulBiedermann says
It is totally unrealistic to expect people to ask permission before sharing a personal photo when it’s placed online. It would be nice for people to ask — I certainly would if it was personal material and would hope my friends did the same — but I wouldn’t say it is wrong since I made the decision to share it publicly in the first place. If you don’t want something out there, don’t post it.
In regards to other imagery or artwork that is created and put online in a “business context,” I think it gets trickier because copyright laws definitely do apply — just like in traditional media, one cannot just repost an image or creative work as their own without the proper permission and credit.
However, I will also add that where the line is drawn between these first two photographs is where things can get really sticky.
profkrg says
PaulBiedermann The line is really sticky, isn’t it? What’s for business purposes? What’s creative work? Yikes!
One of my students brought up a super interesting point. She works with those who would be considered a “vulnerable population,” specifically, children in a Sunday school class. She said she would never post a photo of any of the children without permission from the parents. I didn’t realize until she said it that I never post photos of friends’ children if the parents aren’t on Facebook. I guess I assume that, if they’re not on social media, they don’t want photos of their kids shared there. It’s not something I ever talked to anyone about, it’s just something I’ve always done. I also don’t post photos of students unless I know they’re ok with it.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Paul. You brought up some interesting points.
barrettrossie says
Is it right or wrong? I guess it depends on whether you’re sharing in a kind-hearted or mean-hearted spirit. But I agree with PaulBiedermann — if you don’t want people to share something, don’t post it.
profkrg says
barrettrossie PaulBiedermann Who gets to decide what’s kind-hearted or mean-spirited? If you post any photo of me that I think I look bad in, I’m going to assume that you’re just being mean. Just sayin. 😉
netster23 says
Anything that posted online will be available online. When it is available online you basically have no control how the contents would be spread by third party. You can set your account private in Facebook, Twitter or any other social network, a third party will always have ways to share.
To me if you share something online but you do not want people to reshare, then don’t share 🙂
profkrg says
netster23 This is a good rule of thumb. If you don’t want it shared by others, don’t share it yourself. No one is making you share.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
OrganizerSandy says
I think if you are using a photo from some place, and it’s not your own – then you ask permission and of course link back to and give credit to the person that took the picture. I disagree that anything posted online is free to take. Does that mean anything in the library is free to take and use as your own too?
profkrg says
OrganizerSandy Do you think this is true of photos that are shared on social media sites? I guess I assume that people expect them to be shared.
OrganizerSandy says
Not sure about anyone else, but I know if I post a picture I took on FB or twitter, I would not expect anyone to use it for something without asking me. Now.. if they are simply sharing my post on theirs.. that is different, because the source is available.
profkrg says
OrganizerSandy That’s pretty much what I was talking about. Not using the photo for proprietary purposes, but just passing it along. That’s what happened in the Zuckerberg situation, and she was really mad.
OrganizerSandy says
If it linked back to her page or post.. then I would be surprised that she was angry.
profkrg says
OrganizerSandy That’s what happened with the Zuckerberg thing. A photo she posted on Facebook was shared on Twitter. She was angry that permission wasn’t requested. A bit strange to me, but I guess it’s worth thinking about because different people do respond in different ways.
CompanyFounder says
Users of social media should realize that by sharing so much information online, they have essentially forfeited their right to privacy, at least for the information they’ve shared. I realize that there are norms, expectations, and even laws with regards to such material, but if you start with the premise that whatever you post online will likely be shared beyond your typical privacy comfort zone, you’ll never be disappointed. I’m not saying online users don’t have rights (even to privacy); they do, of course, in certain instances, but by willingly posting information about your personal life, you’re willingly exposing yourself to the possibility that the shared information will be posted all over the place.
profkrg says
CompanyFounder I think the key here is that people don’t think about it. We just post… and post… and post. We share the details of our lives and then get angry when people discuss us or have opinions about our posts. It’s really quite strange behavior when you think about it.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting. I totally agree with what you wrote above.
Kenna
MELISASource says
I have seen and known that once a photo/video is posted on social media, it’s now subject to being shared without permission. I think it’s just a matter of the person knowing this and being ok with the fact that it may happen.
profkrg says
MELISASource I agree. A surprising number of people don’t expect these things to be shared.
Thanks for reading and commenting!