User:Mike Peel/Wikimedia event photography

(English) This is an essay. It expresses the opinions and ideas of some Wikimedians but may not have wide support. This is not policy on Meta, but it may be a policy or guideline on other Wikimedia projects. Feel free to update this page as needed, or use the discussion page to propose major changes.

It is important that attendees feel comfortable attending Wikimedia events, whether they want to remain anonymous or are happy being photographed, and whether or not they want to take photographs during the event. In the past, unwelcome photographs were taken at Wikimedia events, and this led to Wikimania 2019 introducing a new photography policy, which was subsequently used at WikidataCon 2019. However, this new policy made me feel unwelcome as a regular photographer of Wikimedia events, and I provided event feedback accordingly. The proposal to use the same policy for WikiData Days 2020 led to me proposing this rewrite. Of course, COVID-19 has delayed everything, but it also gives space to discuss this issue without time pressure.

The proposal below is a revised photography policy that was initially based on the Wikimania 2019 policy. It tries to make things clearer for photographers and attendees. It introduces some additional steps, particularly during registration/event preparation process.

Introduction

Along with written notes and presentation videos, photography is an important part of recording Wikimedia community events for the long term record and for people that couldn't attend the event. However, it is important also to recognize the privacy needs of our fellow Wikimedians. As such, all pictures taken during the event must have the explicit consent of people that appear in them. This is done using different coloured lanyards that set out individual attendees preferences; spaces in sessions for people that don't want to be photographed; and rules for photographers.

Before the event

When you register for the event, you should be given three options:

I don't mind reasonable photography of me
I want to be asked before or after being photographed
I don't want to be photographed

It should be made clear during the registration process that photographs will typically be released on Commons under a free license.

In the program, some sessions may me marked as 'no photography allowed' - in these cases, no photographs are allowed in the room at all, and the presentation will not be recorded. This is where, e.g., the sole speaker doesn't want to be photographed, or the presentation is about something that cannot be shared online. (If only part of a presentation can't be shared online, that should be clearly indicated in the appropriate parts of the presentation, rather than excluding photography from the whole session, and if possible then parts of the presentation should still be recorded).

During the event

Based on their registration choices (with some capacity to change options at registration), attendees will be given one of three lanyards:

Green lanyard: I don't mind reasonable photography of me
Orange lanyard: I want to be asked before or after being photographed
Red lanyard: I don't want to be photographed

If you see that you are being photographed without permission, please challenge the photographer in the first case, and if that does not work then talk to an event organiser.

Anybody speaking publicly on stage is considered to be clearly indicating they accept pictures/video of them presenting being made and shared on Wikimedia Commons. [Except if they are wearing the no-photo lanyard.]

In sessions where photography has not been disallowed, there will be a designated area (nominally the back corner on the same side of the room as the main entrance) where those not wanting to be photographed should sit.

Anybody standing up for a group photo is considered to be clearly indicating they wish to be part of the photo and for it be shared publicly with a free-license.

Photographers:

The expectation is that you are taking photographs to upload them to Wikimedia Commons under a free license. If this is not the case, ...
If you see that someone is wearing a red lanyard, do not take photographs that include them.
If you see that someone is wearing an orange lanyard, please obtain consent for photographs of them - ideally beforehand, but if that is not possible then ask afterwards. Verbal approval is sufficient - you do not need a signed consent form.
If you are taking photographs of crowds (e.g. of the foyer area with many people in the distance) the key factor is identifiability. If a person is identifiable - either because they appear large in the photograph or because their appearance is distinctive (e.g. hairstyle or particular clothing), please obtain consent from them.
If you later discover that you have photographed someone with a red lanyard, or an orange landyard where you don't have permission, you must not publish them.
Please be especially careful of photography in situations where people are less likely to want to be photographed in general. This includes while eating food, working on a computer, or when having a private conversation. In general, paparazzi-style photography is not welcome.

Photographs uploaded without consent

If you notice during or after the event that a picture of you has been uploaded on Commons without your consent, and you want it to be deleted, then you have several options, in order of escalation:

Contact the photographer and ask them to voluntarily remove it
Start a deletion discussion about the image
Contact an event organiser (particularly if you don't feel comfortable contacting the photographer)
Contact a Commons administrator

If you see a photograph of someone wearing a red lanyard, then please ask for it to be deleted even if you are not the person depicted.