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Laws of Photography in Public Spaces
Published by Australian Photography, Sharon Givoni’s latest article considers the legal and ethical issues surrounding public photography in Australia.
The article was sparked by the now-viral story of “Amy” — a woman covertly filmed in Sydney’s Kings Cross and uploaded online without her knowledge or consent. It raises timely questions about consent, dignity, and the growing power imbalance between camera holders and their subjects. Read more about Amy here: US content creator secretly filmed Sydney women with covert sunglasses camera lens – ABC News.
In this plain-English guide, Sharon considers:
- What the law currently says about photographing people in public
- Why Australia has no explicit image rights law
- How venue rules and defamation law come into play
- Why covert photography is becoming more problematic in the digital age
- The upcoming statutory tort of serious invasion of privacy
Photographers, journalists, influencers and creators will all benefit from this no-nonsense breakdown of how the law works—and where it might be heading. As always, the content is in line with our law firm’s registered tagline: TURNING LEGALESE INTO LEGAL EASE® — meaning we give clear, plain-English legal advice, and draft contracts that you can actually understand.
Please note the above article is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice.
Please email us info@iplegal.com.au if you need legal advice about your brand or another legal matter in this area generally.