Sweden prohibits taking photos or video privately

[Operator]

Sweden prohibits private photography
STOCKHOLM -

Sweden prohibits from 1 July all photography or film in the private sphere, even if the images are taken on the street, in the garden or for example during birthday parties ​​at home. There should be only such pictures taken when the people in the photo or video have given their prior consent. The Swedish government confirmed this Thursday after the bill was ratified by parliament.

Journalists and press photographers fear that the new law will be used to limit their watchdog function and thus curb press freedom. Formally, the law makes an exception for news, but according to the Swedish journalists union, the conditions are unclear.


(Translated by Google and slightly manually corrected)

http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/21607371/__Fotograferen_verboden___.html

[Debra]

Well, I wonder how this will play out in social media like Facebook? Laws being introduced or on the cards for Sweden are quite scary --

[Operator]

Well, I wonder how this will play out in social media like Facebook? Laws being introduced or on the cards for Sweden are quite scary --

Yes, I was astonished to see something like this to come officially into law.

How, about a tourist taking a picture on location? Needs to ask permission to everyone accidentally appearing in the shot? Crazy!

P.S. so let's apply this consequently ... remove all streetcams !!

[Lifebringer]

Really?! But they can fly their heliocopters and put cameras in "public spaces to watch us?"

Bwahahahahahaha, they've really got some nerve to tell their citizens, I can watch you in the privacy of your phones, chats, and backyards, but you "can NOT" watch what I do behind my mansion property fence.

Boy, the ego surprises me sometimes with the giggles of a life time. Does this law apply to 'average citizens?"

I think not. Different strokes/laws for different folks/rich.

I hope the title is correct, because that is what I responded to. I don't read Dutche and there's no translation. Don't want to go off subject based on no translation, so is this the actual translation?

[The Royal Wizard]

Well, not quite so. The law is ment to protect people from beeing taken pictures of in secrecy. You can no longer sneak into someones bedroom and take pictures of someone sleeping, or someone using the bathroom. This law is probably an answer to all these unautorized pictures published on facebook and similar "places". The journalist union is not happy, cause they would rather see a law directed to publishing such pictures, not the photographer.

All the best

TRW

[Prodigal Son]

Well I guess I can scratch Sweden off the list of countries I would go to for asylum if I see the 4th Reich coming to fruition here in Amerika. It's too freakin cold anyway.

[Operator]

Really?! But they can fly their heliocopters and put cameras in "public spaces to watch us?"

They exempted themselves by the word 'private'.



I hope the title is correct, because that is what I responded to. I don't read Dutche and there's no translation. Don't want to go off subject based on no translation, so is this the actual translation?

The translation I provided is the complete article. Google messes it up sometimes but with a few manual corrections the sentences flow
as should be in English (limited to my knowledge of English of course).

[Fred Steeves]

P.S. so let's apply this consequently ... remove all streetcams !!

Well that would be just hunky dory Operator, if it wasn't "do as I say, not as I do".

[Operator]

Well, not quite so. The law is ment to protect people from beeing taken pictures of in secrecy. You can no longer sneak into someones bedroom and take pictures of someone sleeping, or someone using the bathroom. This law is probably an answer to all these unautorized pictures published on facebook and similar "places". The journalist union is not happy, cause they would rather see a law directed to publishing such pictures, not the photographer.



What you say makes sense. The newspaper I got it from most of the time publishes articles that are not untrue.
However they tend to write it in a more spectacular setting to give it a twist.

But on the other hand this won't be the first time how they sneak in laws that look benevolent at first sight and
then will be abused for malpractices later on.

Actually we don't need these laws at all. If we would stick to the law of the land it already says that you can't
do anything that harms others. So if pictures are used to harm someone it's already covered.

[Etherios]

Well, not quite so. The law is ment to protect people from beeing taken pictures of in secrecy. You can no longer sneak into someones bedroom and take pictures of someone sleeping, or someone using the bathroom. This law is probably an answer to all these unautorized pictures published on facebook and similar "places". The journalist union is not happy, cause they would rather see a law directed to publishing such pictures, not the photographer.

All the best

TRW


You agree with this law? ... bah make it illegal to publicly use those fotos not stop people from taking pictures. Really ... its a sad day for this forum that we have people agreeing to this.

[Metaphor]

Nothing to see here folks, and dont mind the dutch original article that probably got it all wrong and turned into something more sensational than it is. The law probably is aimed at hindering people from taking sneakpictures and publishing it on the net. There has been some debate over this. And yes this is amost welcome law if you consider that young people dont respect each others integrity at all these days. And agin the article has it wrong on how the law is applied

[Referee]

So are we now to wipe our minds eye from remembering anything in our own lives? This is right up there with the EU's decesion that water is bad for you.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eqDWvvgG8m0/TqsakEbMKnI/AAAAAAAARw0/cZuKhyqAGWs/s1600/GoodGrief-703274.gif

[Zampano]

Be realistic! What else can I say?

[Maia Gabrial]

I really feel sorry for Swedes. It's in the water, right?

[avid]

"A local Belgian politician, Ilse Uyttersprot, the mayor of Aalst (a town in Belgium) has been caught on video while having sex in Greece on a tower". Er - protect those at 'the top' - ahem.....
These dratted cover-ups - what a pain-in-the-BTM for those in 'power' eh?

[Sidney]

Well, not quite so. The law is ment to protect people from beeing taken pictures of in secrecy. You can no longer sneak into someones bedroom and take pictures of someone sleeping, or someone using the bathroom. This law is probably an answer to all these unautorized pictures published on facebook and similar "places". The journalist union is not happy, cause they would rather see a law directed to publishing such pictures, not the photographer.

All the best

TRW

Um Yeah thats the smoke-screen cover story reason. What are they REALLY hiding??? That is my Humble Opinion.

¤=[Post Update]=¤


Well I guess I can scratch Sweden off the list of countries I would go to for asylum if I see the 4th Reich coming to fruition here in Amerika. It's too freakin cold anyway.

I am afraid the 4th Reich is already here my friend. Have a watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLzRgKNkBEE

[InCiDeR]

It is hard to translate a law, so please bear with me!

---

Chapter 4. 6 §

Any person who unlawfully using technical aids to secretly taking picture of someone who is indoors in a home or on a toilet, in a locker room or other similar space, is convicted of offending photographing to a fine or imprisonment up to two years. The liability should not be judged if the act with respect to the objectives and other circumstances is justifiable. The first paragraph does not apply to those who with technical aid takes picture of someone as a part of an authority operation.

---

In one way it is good to protect innocent people that wish not that their intimate and personal behavior and doings in a private area is spread to, for example, internet. However, what is problematic is that there is no clear exemption in the draft law for the freedom of the press protected act.

Forcing the professional news photographers to constantly reflecting to whether certain pictures are illegal to take or not when aiming the camera on those in powers . Criminalising this kind of photographic moment can thus lead to photographs that should be taken are not taken.

Further more, this law could easily be misused, and narrow the act of free will on a personal level. Meaning, it will be easy for the police to construct a situation where a photographer is accused of taking a picture illegal.


EDIT: To clarify a misunderstanding. This law is just for private areas, not public. You are still free to take whatever picture you like in the street or anywhere else that is public.

[Observer1964]

Well, I wonder how this will play out in social media like Facebook? Laws being introduced or on the cards for Sweden are quite scary --

Yes, I was astonished to see something like this to come officially into law.

How, about a tourist taking a picture on location? Needs to ask permission to everyone accidentally appearing in the shot? Crazy!

P.S. so let's apply this consequently ... remove all streetcams !!

indeed remove the streetcams... I would love to see how they manage with that.

[Operator]

Nothing to see here folks, and dont mind the dutch original article that probably got it all wrong and turned into something more sensational than it is. The law probably is aimed at hindering people from taking sneakpictures and publishing it on the net. There has been some debate over this. And yes this is amost welcome law if you consider that young people dont respect each others integrity at all these days. And agin the article has it wrong on how the law is applied

My comment as made in this post (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?59570-Sweden-prohibits-taking-photos-or-video-privately&p=680707&viewfull=1#post680707) applies here again ...

[Magneticman]

Well I guess I can scratch Sweden off the list of countries I would go to for asylum if I see the 4th Reich coming to fruition here in Amerika. It's too freakin cold anyway.

The Fourth Reich is well and truly entrenched in Amerika, They tell me people in Iceland are pretty cool;-) They have the most impressive active volcano and are looking for good asylum seekers:-)

[Ellisa]

Why do people want to sneak around taking photos of people going to the toilet, undressing or dressing in their own bedrooms or relaxing at home in their own garden or beside their own pool, and then put the photos on the internet or sell them without permission? And who are the real creeps who want to see them?

[InCiDeR]

Why do people want to sneak around taking photos of people going to the toilet, undressing or dressing in their own bedrooms or relaxing at home in their own garden or beside their own pool, and then put the photos on the internet or sell them without permission? And who are the real creeps who want to see them?

You would be surprised how many times this has happened in swedish schools as of late, in dressing rooms, toilets etc...

[DouglasDanger]

Well, not quite so. The law is ment to protect people from beeing taken pictures of in secrecy. You can no longer sneak into someones bedroom and take pictures of someone sleeping, or someone using the bathroom. This law is probably an answer to all these unautorized pictures published on facebook and similar "places". The journalist union is not happy, cause they would rather see a law directed to publishing such pictures, not the photographer.

All the best

TRW

The first country to take out the paparatzzi's... I wonder how long it will be before hollywood tries to put a law like this in....