Exactly what are the rights of the average citizen when it comes to taking videos of each other? In order to publish something for media, you technically do need to get the permission of all the parties involved.
But what if it's an alleged crime?
What if this crime involves something that not everybody wants to catch on camera?
Let us explore this recent story and see if we cannot question where personal surveillance ends, and invasion of privacy begins.
Quote:
Talk about rubbing someone the wrong way.
Police in Philadelphia are waiting for a warrant to be approved after a man was filmed allegedly masturbating on a SEPTA bus.
A Temple University Ph.D. student filmed the incident on her phone Friday, according to NBC Philadelphia. The student, who spoke with the station but did not want to be identified, said she was riding the Route 23 bus to class when she noticed a man next to her exposing himself.
Source
Not posting the video, but here is the main part on the conversation that took place:
Quote:
“You know this is on video, right?” the woman asks. “You really wanna do that? I have it on my phone.”
In the video, the man continues to expose himself, ignoring the woman’s questions.
“Are you crazy?” she then asks. “Do you see how many people are on this bus? Do you see a child behind you? You are disgusting.”
The video then shows the man turning towards the woman.
"Are you serious right now?" he asks. “I’m standing here the whole time. Why wouldn’t you just say something?"
“Does someone need to tell you not to touch yourself in public on a bus?” the woman replies.
The video then shows the man leaving the bus as more people confront him.
Source
Quote:
The real question here, is should the woman have taken the video? Yes sometimes you do need video to prove something, but has this crossed a line? Or was she justified in taking it based on the lewd act the guy was doing on the bus? In front of children no less…
Does this raise up the bigger issue of personal surveillance on each other? What alternatives could she have done?
Source