When peope post to social media platforms they sign up to the platform’s terms and conditions, which in our own experience are not always read very thoroughly – if at all. At OurLocality we value and encourage family friendly contributions from our community of users.
While we have strict policies in place regarding the misuse of copyrighted images, we do not have an explicit policy about posting images of people who may not have consented to the their image being used, let alone pictures of their children.
The following elaborate 1) the issues and problems this might raise; 2) the technical side of using the blog to simply post (dump) large numbers of images unattached to a story but retrievable by search engines all the same; and 3) a simple starter policy to frame a better conversation with our users.
1) Issues and Problems with Posting Images Without Consent
Posting images of individuals, particularly minors, without consent can raise several ethical, legal, and reputational issues:
a) Ethical Issues
- Privacy Violations: People have a right to control how their image is shared. Posting without consent can breach their personal boundaries, especially in the case of children.
- Misrepresentation: Images taken out of context may misrepresent individuals or situations, leading to harm.
b) Legal Issues
- GDPR Compliance: Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), sharing identifiable images of individuals without their consent can violate privacy laws, especially in the EU. Images of children are treated with additional sensitivity.
- Copyright/Ownership Concerns: Even if you took the photo, you still need consent to share identifiable images of others, as the subjects have rights over how their likeness is used.
- Risk of Litigation: Individuals whose images are shared without consent may file lawsuits or complaints, putting your site at risk.
c) Reputational Issues
- Loss of Trust: If our platform or your website is perceived as careless with user privacy, this can lead to a loss of trust and discourage participation.
- Damage to Community: Misuse of images can lead to community conflict, especially if parents feel their children’s privacy is being violated.
2) Technical Issues with Posting Large Numbers of Images Unattached to Stories
If users post many images without connecting them to meaningful content, several technical and user experience problems arise:
a) Search Engine Crawling and Exposure
- Search engines index unattached images just like they do regular content. This means images can appear in search results out of context, making them accessible to unintended audiences.
- Misleading or irrelevant search engine results may harm the credibility of the platform.
b) Storage and Bandwidth Usage
- Hosting large numbers of standalone images can consume significant server storage and bandwidth, especially if images are high-resolution. This increases hosting costs and slows down the site.
c) Poor User Experience
- Blogs with “image dumps” that are not tied to coherent narratives or pages become confusing for users and don’t add meaningful value to our platform or your website.
- Visitors may find it harder to navigate or retrieve relevant content when images are scattered without structure.
d) Content Moderation Difficulties
- Monitoring inappropriate content becomes harder when users upload large numbers of images without descriptive context or captions.
3) Starter Policy for Framing a Better Conversation with Users
Here’s a simple starter policy to address the ethical and technical issues while fostering a respectful community:
OurLocality Image Posting Policy
At OurLocality, we value creativity and encourage the sharing of original images and content. However, to protect privacy, ensure legal compliance, and maintain a high-quality platform, we kindly ask users to follow these guidelines:
- Respect Privacy:
- Only upload images of individuals if you have their explicit consent.
- For images of children, you must have the permission of their parent or legal guardian.
- Original Content Only:
- Please ensure the images you share are your own or you have the right to share them. Avoid using copyrighted material without appropriate licenses.
- Connect Images to Stories:
- To maintain a meaningful and family-friendly platform, images should ideally be attached to a post, page, or story with proper context.
- Standalone “image dumps” or galleries should include descriptive captions to provide clarity.
- Avoid Inappropriate Content:
- Do not upload images that are offensive, misleading, or inappropriate for a family-friendly community.
- Technical Considerations:
- Use compressed and optimized images to reduce load times and save server resources and avoid them being re-appropriated or misused.
- Use descriptive alt text for all images to improve accessibility and SEO.
- Take Down Requests:
- If someone contacts you to remove an image that features them or their child, respect their wishes promptly.
Additional Notes:
- Images uploaded to OurLocality may be indexed by search engines and shared publicly unless privacy settings are applied. Users are responsible for ensuring their posts comply with this policy.
- Repeated or egregious violations may result in content removal or account suspension.
Framing the Conversation with OurLocality Users
We are sharing this policy stub with users, to better frame a conversation that emphasises trust and community values:
- to highlight that the goal is to protect individuals’ privacy and foster a safe, welcoming platform.
- tress that complying with these guidelines helps maintain the high standards and family-friendly environment of OurLocality.
- Offer users practical advice on how to comply, such as including links to resources for finding copyright-free images or tools for obtaining consent.
We could provide e.g. a short training module or a just quick guide on the platform that explains the importance of image consent, how to attach images to posts effectively, and how to optimize images for the web.
By combining a clear policy, technical guidance, and a supportive approach, we hope to encourage our community to respect these principles while still contributing actively.
Does that help?
