The Beginning of The End of Street Photography in the UK?
Screenshot: bbc.com
Yesterday, the BBC reported that a 27-year old man had been arrested for allegedly filming women in public places. The man uploaded his videos to TikTok, with many of them going viral. The arrest is the first of its kind and it could have long term implications on how people practice street photography in the UK.
The Arrest
The BBC did not share the videos, nor did it name the perpetrator by legal name or social media handle. Them Frames understands the man from Bradford would film women who were on nights out, without telling them.
At the time of writing, there are no reports of offenses such as upskirting, which is rightly illegal in the UK. Nor is there any mention of tha man approaching the women in an abusive or threatening manner. At things stand, the arrest seems to be for filming them without consent and sharing the recording on social media.
It’s too soon to say if the man has broken any laws, but we do know he was arrested “on suspicion of stalking and harassment”.
From a screenshot, it would seem the man specifically targets women wearing short shirts and revealing clothing. In an BBC investigation back in April, one of the women in the videos told the BBC, "I didn't see him, I didn't know I was being recorded.” She continued "I can't believe I've been targeted in that way. He looked at me and thought 'yeah, I'll video them'."
Other women came forward as well, with one telling the BBC, “I have no words really other than it just made me feel a bit sick.”
It’s understandable why women would feel uncomfortable in this situation. Being filmed by a strange man, sometimes when alone at night, is obviously a cause for concern. It’s even more concerning when you think the man is using the content to get views on social media.
While people will speculate, it's my opinion that the man knew exactly what he was doing. By specifically targeting women in revealing clothing, he knew it would generate engagement on social media. He put that need for engagement above any form of ethics, and without concern for the people he was recording.
The Impact
How does this have a knock on effect on street photography?
Making photographs and videos in public spaces is currently legal in the UK. That gives people the right to photograph almost anything they want, despite how it may make people feel. The issue with this incident is that it gets wide-spread exposure, and rightly so. It harms street photographers and impacts the public’s trust of people making content in public spaces.
While action should be taken against men making people, especially females, uncomfortable in public spaces, the consequence could be a blanket ban on taking photographs in public spaces. It would seem too complex to enforce only photographing certain people, at certain times, wearing certain clothing. The simple alternative could be to block it all.
The Ethics
This is why street photography ethics are important (and public content creation ethics as a whole). Although iconic street photographer Bruce Gilden once famously said “I have no ethics…” the impact of not instilling them can only hurt the street photography community.
We need to teach men the importance of being respectful when photographing and filming on the streets. I honestly believe most of us are good people, and most of us understand the impact of documenting women in a certain way can be harmful.
But, we must keep talking about the right and wrong way to behave in public spaces. We must show the public that most of us have good, honest intentions when making images and videos without consent. Simply put, we must show the world that it’s okay to trust street photographers and others making media in public spaces.
Because, if we don't, stories like this will take a strong hold. And when public opinion is against a certain art form and trust is low, it’s much easier for lawmakers to ban all practices, even when they're done with overwhelmingly positive intentions.
Imagine a world where we can’t document society, where we can’t have a record of significant events and where we can’t keep certain authorities accountable by having a visual record of their actions. I don’t want to live in that world and I hope instances like this don't make it happen.
What do you think about this story? Could it be the beginning of public content creation? Was it right to arrest the man? Let me know in the comments.
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