Content creation and influencer culture are going too far. We are seeing far too many instances of people recording unsuspecting strangers for pranks, entertainment, vlogs and social media content, then publishing those videos online without their knowledge or consent.

This isn’t simply about appearing in the background of someone’s video. It goes much deeper than that, and people need to understand the potential consequences.

Imagine someone who has fled domestic violence and is doing everything they can to keep their whereabouts private. Someone decides to film a prank or a day-to-day video, unknowingly capturing that person in the background. That video is then uploaded and shared online, potentially exposing their location to the very person they are trying to escape.

For some, it’s a harmless prank. For others, it could be life-threatening.

This issue extends across different types of content:

Prank videos: Recording unsuspecting members of the public for entertainment.
Everyday vlogging: Filming daily activities and including strangers who have never agreed to be part of the content.
Gyms and fitness facilities: Recording workouts while capturing other people’s bodies and personal activities in the background.
Women being deliberately filmed: One particularly concerning trend is people positioning cameras to deliberately capture women in revealing or compromising ways, including when they are simply walking down the street or going about their everyday lives.
There is also a common argument that CCTV records people in public, so why should content creators be any different?

CCTV is primarily used for security, public safety and crime prevention. There is a fundamental difference between security footage and an individual choosing to record strangers, upload that footage to TikTok or other social media platforms and expose them to potentially millions of viewers.

These are not the same thing.

Being in a public space should not mean surrendering your right to privacy, dignity or safety. People should be able to go to the gym, walk down the street or enjoy a day out without worrying about becoming somebody else’s content.

We are calling for stronger legal protections against the non-consensual recording and publication of identifiable footage of strangers, particularly where it is intrusive, exploitative, targeted or could put someone’s safety at risk.

This is not about preventing legitimate journalism or filming for genuine public interest. It is about establishing reasonable boundaries and recognising that another person’s privacy, dignity and safety matter.

Content creation is not more important than another person’s consent.

It’s time we started putting people before views, likes and online engagement. Let’s protect people’s right to privacy.