A question of trust: Part 2

This article follows on from Part 1, examining the actions and motivations of the authorities.

In Part 2 I examine anti-terrorist legislation used to focus on crime and terrorism and its implementation. I also look at the DNA Database and how open the authorities have been with the public.

Readers can form their own opinion whether these examples suggest that photographers are simply being targeted by rogue jobsworths, whether trends suggest they have nothing to fear from the State, or the actions of the authorities are indicative of dubious intent.

A question of trust: Part 1

Could photographers be forgiven for thinking that there is some form of conspiracy causing them to be specifically targeted by the authorities or are they simply dealing with aggressive jobsworths with little or no knowledge of the law. Does photography represent a real threat to out nation and its security or are we perhaps not being told the full and honest truth by the State?

The Data Protection Act versus photography

Perhaps naively I hadn’t thought about the implication of the DPA upon photography before… The DPA was written in the infancy of the internet. Today there are more implications of revealing personal information.

An unhealthy society?

How have we allowed ourselves to become so narrow minded to make an embarrassed grandfather feel obliged to delete his innocently taken photos fearing he has been labelled a predatory paedophile?

Photographers’ rights campaigners back Journalist candidate

Photo and video journalists behind a groundbreaking campaign for photographers’ rights have declared their support for a journalist seeking one of the most scrutinised jobs in the British and Irish media.

Richard Simcox is one of eight candidates in an election to find a new editor of the National Union of Journalists’ own magazine, the Journalist. He is currently the Editor of PCS Activate magazine.

Bill of Rights now allows a Competition Winners Archive

The Bill of Rights (BoR) for Photography Competitions was developed by Pro-Imaging in the last months of 2007 and launched in March 2008. It was created as a set of conditions by which to judge the terms and conditions for photography competitions. Specifically those terms and conditions that defined the rights the entrant was to grant the organizer with respect to the entrant’s images.

PhotoLegal presenters witness unlawful stop and search

PhotoLegal presenters Darren Hector and Phill Price today witnessed what they believed to be an unlawful stop and search in Trafalgar Square by two Police Community Support Officers.

What can happen when nobody knows the rules

It’s becoming clear that senior railway managers know that enthusiasts should be able to take photos of rolling stock and of stations, but for whatever reason some staff on the ground are not hearing the message, or are choosing not to listen

If you have nothing to hide, you have everything to fear

Laws are created to hold those that misbehave in society to account, whilst at the same time protecting both them and society from any abuse of the same laws by those on the ground. Most of us are not fully aware of our rights and as ignorance is no defence in the eyes of the law…

Guest Post: Climate Camp – Met Police Charm Offensive – Will it work?

So what is it going to be like to document the Climate Camp next week?

My colleague Paul Lewis – who I have worked with on investigations into police surveillance of protesters and journalists, covert state targeting of environmental activists and police violence – has written an interesting article about how the Metropolitan Police are “overhauling its tactics for policing protests by reaching out to activists”. The Public Order Branch of the Met – C011 – has even set up a Twitter account!