2024:Photography policy
Documenting Wikimania is an important activity, and Wikimedians have a natural desire to document the world around them. But when we meet as colleagues, it is important also to recognize the privacy needs of our fellow Wikimedians.
Who this policy applies to:
The below policy applies to in-person attendees at Wikimania.
For virtual attendees, please avoid taking or posting screenshots without participants verbal consent.
Photo policy in a nutshell:
“I understand that Wikimania attendees have different preferences when it comes to photography. If I do not want my image captured on photo or video, I can ask for a special “no photography” lanyard at registration. If I am wearing the regular “photography is okay” lanyard, I understand that photographs of me at Wikimania may appear online.
If I am taking photos or video at Wikimania, I should avoid capturing anyone wearing a “no photography” lanyard in my photos, and if someone does appear in the distance, I must blur them out. I also understand it is best practice to avoid taking photos where people generally do not want to be photographed, and to seek verbal consent from anyone identifiable in my photos before posting online.”
Lanyards
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What this means in practice
- If someone is wearing the “no photography” lanyard, they do not wish to appear in any photography or video. Intentionally photographing a person wearing this lanyard without their knowledge is against the friendly-space policy of the event.
- Certain sessions of the conference are marked as “no photography” in the program
, and will be announced as such at the beginning of the session.
- Certain sessions of the conference are marked as “no photography” in the program
- Photos of crowds. If anyone wearing a “no photography” lanyard appears in a photo of a crowd (e.g. a photo of the foyer area or of people in the distance) the photographer must blur out that person in the final rendering of the photograph.
- Mindful photographing. Please be careful of photographing those with “photography is okay” lanyards in situations where people are less likely to want to be photographed. This includes while eating food or drinking, or when having a private conversation.
- Consent. It is best practice to obtain consent from identifiable people in your photo before posting online.
How to determine consent
- Context. The person is clearly indicating they are willing to be photographed. For example:
- Anybody standing up for a group photo is considered to be clearly indicating they wish to be part of the photo and for it to be shared publicly with a free-license.
- 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.]
- Asking. For candid photographs of individuals or groups, it is good practice to ask for consent of anyone identifiable in the photo before uploading the photo to Commons or any other platform. Verbal approval is sufficient – you do not need a signed consent form. It is useful to specify the intended place for the photo to be posted when obtaining consent.
- It is the photographer’s and videographer’s responsibility to follow these practices. Photographers and videographers contracted by the Wikimedia Foundation for Wikimania will abide by the same terms.