Wikimedia New York City/Photography policy
Wikimedia NYC documents and even streams some of its events, especially those with substantial presentations or a large number of attendees. As Wikimedia Commons uploads and live streams are publicly viewable, we respect the wishes of those seeking to protect their privacy, and urge all event photographers to have situational awareness and exercise caution when taking photos. We also ask that such individuals remain vigilant so as not to find themselves unknowingly captured in photos or streams.
Below is a set of general guidelines, which may be considered a supplement to the overarching Code of Conduct, though some events may have more strict or lenient guidelines than outlined here.
For any concerns or comments, reach out to info[at]wikimedianyc.org
Guidelines
[edit]At the event
[edit]- Photography is opt-in, not opt-out. In other words, photos should not be taken unless all the subjects have unambiguously consented to being photographed.
- At all major chapter events, attendees are given nametags – on which they may write their username, real name, or both – on which they may place a sticker indicative of their comfort level with photography. In general: green = photos are OK, yellow = ask the subject first, red = photos are not OK. If no sticker is visible, assume that photos are not OK. It is important to be mindful of these at every event, as individual preferences may change.
- Even when attendees indicate they are OK with photos, please be respectful and refrain from taking photos that would generally be considered unflattering, such as while attendees are eating or yawning.
- It is also encouraged to ask for consent when taking close-up photos of individuals or small groups.
- Usually, taking photos of speakers or large groups is OK, though speakers may request not to be photographed (in which case their preference takes precedence) and certain sessions may have more stringent photography rules.
- If a board member or safe space team member requests that you stop taking photos, or a person asks not to be photographed, stop taking photos, irrespective of their indicated photography preference. Repeated violations will result in you being asked to leave the event or escorted out by security officers.
- Any uncomfortable situations should be reported to a board member, safe space team member, or security personnel. As a reminder, no means no, and stop means stop.
- Although we will do our best to respect privacy wishes, it is the attendee's responsibility to excuse themself from the main group photos and avoid walking in front of a camera capturing a live stream.
Reviewing and uploading photos
[edit]- All uploaded photos will be subject to review by Wikimedia NYC board members, and older Commons categories may also be patrolled periodically. In addition, photos taken by designated event photographers will be reviewed prior to upload. If anyone not consenting to be photographed is identifiable, the photos in question will be marked for speedy deletion or a Commons admin will be notified off-site. The uploader will also be reminded to be attentive with future uploads, and in case of repeated offense, the board may decide to take further action.
- Even if everyone in a photo has consented (whether implicitly or explicitly) to being photographed, be discerning when uploading. Unnatural or unflattering photos should not be uploaded, and such photos will be treated as though the subjects have not consented, as described above.
- In photo titles, captions, and descriptions, individuals may only be identified to the extent that they have disclosed publicly and willingly. Generally, this means username only. If a person has not shared their real name anywhere online, it may not be included as part of any media not uploaded by the person in question, even if they use their real name informally at gatherings. Publication of any information online beyond what is already public knowledge constitutes outing and will be handled accordingly. As part of this, we ask that photographers avoid capturing nametags in photos, and if this is unavoidable, that nametags be blurred or otherwise hidden prior to upload.
- Individual requests by the subject of a photo for said photo to be deleted, or for personally identifiable information to be hidden, will be honored as long they are made in a timely manner, i.e., such that sensitive information has not spread beyond the upload page. Deletion requests may be addressed off-site directly to a Commons admin, or be made by proxy – asking someone you know offline or an event facilitator to request deletion on your behalf – when privacy is a concern.
Licensing and legal considerations
[edit]- All content uploaded to Wikimedia Commons must be licensed as public domain (or CC-0), CC BY, or CC BY-SA. While it is usually possible to do this for one's own uploads, one must be mindful of the copyright status of other content visible within photos, such as artwork and internet content.
- Venue-specific photography policies must be respected, and will be considered and enacted when necessary as photos are uploaded to Commons.