Collecting material for our 21st anniversary booklet has raised some concerns regarding publishing photos under the provisions of the Privacy Act.
The Privacy Commissioner states that we need permission from anyone whose photo we wish to publish, and that ideally, this permission should be written. (If the subject of the photo has since died, you don’t need to get their permission!)
Apparently, though, you can publish photos without the subjects’ permission if they are taken in a public place (or at a public event) and do not defame the subject. It’s standard practice in newspapers, who don’t identify such subjects by name.
The best advice we can give you about publishing photos is to consdier having a “permission to use photo” tickbox on any enrolment or nomination form that you design. Ruth G
