Sweden - prohibition of street photography

[ant_nio_gomes]

<blockquote>

<p>Has the OP been to W.Europe recently? Has he seen any restrictions or "trends"? I was on a cruise last year to Italy, France, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Portugal and Portugal's islands and had no problems whatsoever taking pictures in the streets, cafes, markets. On the island of Madeira I photographed school children playing in the schoolyard where the teachers saw me taking pictures. Nobody approached me and I saw no "trends". </p>

</blockquote>

<p>I wouldn't say so about the portuguese Law, that specifies what you can photograph or not as well the rules to use your images.<br>

According to these, you can photograph without the person's authorization when included within the images of public places, this means you shouldn't frame the person(s) in a way to come the "subject" or to be too evident within the frame. <br>

You are free to photograph but the protection of other people's rights to their image, "good name" and reputation, put the restrictions on the side of exhibition or publication of your photos, besides you can find a lot of street photography in the net and local forums and as much as I'm aware problems with the law are not common. <br>

Easier rules apply to images captured during public shows and events within public areas, as well as for journalists or the photographs of public figures in the exercise of their public activities (politics, sports, artists).<br>

Even if it went smoothly at Madeira (and it can be the same at other places) you shall be careful when it comes to children because the phobia of pedophilia tends now to be a global issue.<br>

I just read this post about the new swedish law but being a trend or not street photographers must pay attention to local laws and sensitivities as it has always been and evaluate the risks they are ready to run.</p>

<p> </p>

[AJHingel]

<p>Coming back to the Swedish Law on "intrusive" (<em>kränkande</em>) photography of people. The title of the OP, seems to me to be somewhat misleading: "<em>prohibition of street photography</em>". Street photography is in no way threatened by the law, as far as I can understand.<br /> The objective of the law is to protect personal integrity.<br /> The law forbids covert shooting of photos or videos from the outside (street, public area, or another private neighboring area) of people in-house in homes or other areas where privacy can be expected (public toilets, change rooms etc), without their prior agreement (already illegal) and secondly that the shooting is covert, because the camera is hidden or the person is unaware of being photographed because being at sleep, for example. If the person being photographed, clearly was aware of being photographed, then the photographer cannot be prosecuted under the law.<br /> The law does explicitly not concern professional photography in a context of news coverage.</p>

<p>All very reasonable rules in the name of protecting personal integrity against intrusive photographers, as far as I can see.</p>

[Uhooru]

<p>Vlad, I suppose some of the reaction your getting is created when you title a thread "Sweden - prohibition of street photography" Based on the what the facts seemed to be, the title is highly misleading. Such mis-information, even if it is intended to garner discussion, will tend to drive people crazy.</p>

[AJHingel]

<p>Such titles, I just see as fair game. We all see them every day in the press.</p>

[starshooter]

<p>This appears to be another Princess Topless law. Recently a dame from Good Ole Britian went topless on a private balcony and some photog came along with a big fat lens and got some big fat photographs and the Royals have their knickers in a twist.<br>

Remember, both Britian and Sweden have queens. The royals do not want the peasants to know how much fun they are having on the public dole (the average bloke's tax money) so they want to punish the messenger, not get their brood to act responsibility.<br>

It is so wicked to take a photo of a pair of Hermans I am sure but what if the prime minister was taking a bribe and a photog got a picture? Or of the same dude was making a deal with terrorists to turn the country over to them? Why, the photog would be a hero (temporarily).<br>

I fear you can expect more dumb laws. Big business and the rich run the world and any voter who thinks differently is not the brightest bulb on the tree.</p>

[sm_sm]

<p>I suppose the most affected by the law would be paparazzi and not us simple souls considering ourselves the next HCBs</p>

[Allen Herbert]

<p>My understanding of Sweden is that it is the land of respect for individual freedoms and with a strong sense of social awareness...</p>

<p>A wonderful country in every way with the reputation of having among the most beautiful ladies on the planet.</p>

<p>Now I'm very sure they would not mind me taking some street photos in their country....they are not a mean folk by any measure.</p>

[AJHingel]

<p>A beautiful country indeed, Allen, but with an extraordinary strong social control. Neighbors watch neighbors.</p>

[Allen Herbert]

<p>"Sweden was in 1766 the first country to introduce a constitutional law where censorship was abolished and the <a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_the_press">freedom of the press</a> guaranteed".</p>

<p>　<br>

"<a href="/wiki/Sweden">Sweden</a> prohibits hate speech, and defines it as publicly making statements that threaten or express disrespect for an ethnic group or similar group regarding their race, skin colour, national or ethnic origin, faith or sexual orientation".</p>

<p>　<br>

"Neighbors watch neighbours"</p>

<p>Why? Every Swedish person I have met seemed to me to be very open minded with good communication skills and very friendly and helpful.</p>

<p>Nosy neighbours are part of life in every county.</p>

[Allen Herbert]

<p>"but with an extraordinary strong social control"</p>

<p>Is that a bad thing? I not sure what you mean by the word "extraordinary", Anders.</p>

[Alex_Es]

This is an anti peeping ton law, not an anti street photography law, which would be impossible in enforce without banning

cameras, including Hasselblads.

[AlanKlein]

<blockquote>

<p>A beautiful country indeed, Allen, but with an extraordinary strong social control. Neighbors watch neighbors.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>What do you mean?</p>

[Alex_Es]

Correction : ...to enforce.....

[sm_sm]

<p>May be it is a beautiful country and a nice social-democracy that is good for its middle class citizens and wellfare recipients though I much prefer a free market economy that drives innovation and rewards initiative. What innovations has Sweden come with over the last century? And also its government justifies islamist terrorists in the Middle East. But these subjects are for another forum</p>

[AJHingel]

<p><em>"Neighbors watch neighbours"</em></p>

<p>Alan H: <em>"What do you mean?"</em><br>

"<em>"Is that a bad thing? I not sure what you mean by the word "extraordinary""</em><br>

""Nosy neighbours are part of life in every county.""<br>

Alan K. ""<em>What do you mean?</em>""<br>

<br>

There is actually a strong social control, where Swedes much more than Danes or Norwegians, watch out and react against deviant behavior. It is right, that nosy neighbors are part of life in every country, but relatively less in Sweden. It's neighboring countries, call Sweden: Control-Sweden.<br>

Why it is like that is much more difficult to explain, but some would refer to the socalled f<em>olkehjemmet</em> (The People's Home) which is, or was at least, the Swedish social democratic welfare state created in the 1930s. The social control is a collective gathering around such common and shared values. Some would say that Sweden has changed since the great number of emigrants and refugees arrived during the last 20-30 years. Sweden has accepted a huge number of political refugees. Even the integration law of 1997 almost explicitly announces that the common Folkehjem is gone. <br>

<br>

<em>""What innovations has Sweden come with over the last century?""</em><br>

Why that question ? Sweden is one of the richest and most innovative and productive country in the world, and has been for years. Here is a list of recent Swedish innovations to thew on: the pacemaker, innovations in artificial intelligence, the gamma knife for brain surgery, transmission of high voltage direct current, Losec ulcer medicine, the mecum wheel, energetically modified cement, micro IP as well as Spotify internet music service and Skype</p>

[Allen Herbert]

<p>"a nice social-democracy that is good for its middle class citizens and wellfare recipients though I much prefer a free market economy that drives innovation and rewards initiative".</p>

<p>Let us fill our pockets with gold who cares about anyone else.</p>

<p>Let the poor starve obviously they have no drive for innovation truly a sad lot. Word on the street is that they die every second from poverty and disease.</p>

<p>One cannot help but wonder if these folk had a little bit of opportunity they might be able to join this free market economy. Unfortunately they do not have enough gold in their pockets or perhaps are not clever enough.</p>

<p>As for the rest Anders has said it.</p>

<p>Enjoy your photos ,Anders.</p>

[Spearhead]

<p>Don't forget the Ikea store.</p>

[Allen Herbert]

<p>"Don't forget the Ikea store."</p>

<p>And Volvo cars.</p>

<p>Hey, without gold in your pocket....</p>

[Allen Herbert]

<p>Hey, without gold in your pocket....</p>

<p>Good bye.</p>

<p>But that is just the way the cookie crumbles.</p>

[Brad_]

Absolut, ABBA, and meatballs...

[AlanKlein]

<p>Swedish meatballs. Yum.</p>

[Uhooru]

<p>Yes Ikea meatballs with horse meat, yummy, also the Millennium Trilogy, Bergman and Vasen!</p>

[francisco_salaquanda]

<p>Sorry to prick your balloon but Volvo was sold to Cheery Cars of China. Saab also had a rich history, but it could not be sold so GM, who had bought it, switched it off completely.</p>

<p>I only have a problem with the Swedes and the Swiss in this regard. You can't count on them if there's a war on.</p>

[AJHingel]

<p>""You can't count on them if there's a war on.""<br /> <br /> Might be the most admirable part of recent history about Sweden, if we can forget the Assange story for a moment. </p>

[thephotophile]

<p>Actually Saab are producing again now that they threw off the shackles of their American masters. Now they have nice new Chinese and Japanese masters instead! :-)</p>

<p>Don't forget that Saab's aerospace division is still Swedish owned and operated.</p>