Someone taking photos of my house

Jimi H

I live in an unusual looking house in a very rural area. A few minutes ago while I was eating my dinner I saw a guy taking photos through a ditch. I went out to him and told him I was eating my dinner and asked him why he was taking photos. He said it was a public road and he can take photos if he wants and hadn’t seen me. I said a few curse words and he cycled off. Do I have any rights to privacy in this kind of scenario?

RurtBeynolds

No

Jimi H

Just to add - he was pointing his camera directly at where I was sitting down eating behind the glass. There’s been burglaries in the area and I don’t like the idea that people could be scoping out houses to rob

Deeec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043097#Comment_122043097

Maybe he is building a house and looking for ideas. People have took photos of our house for this reason. Some have asked first, others haven't.

Were you sitting on front a large window that's a feature of the house

Jimi H

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043110#Comment_122043110

Yeah sitting in front of large windows eating my dinner and I saw this guy poking his head through the ditch with a camera

JVince

Give me your eircode and I'll have a look online - both from the street and overhead by satellite.

Zero privacy on anything seen from a public place.

Kaisr Sose

A person cannot photograph you on private property, such as inside your home. You have no entitlement to privacy in public, but you do on your own private property. It's the essence or fundamentals of privacy.

Jimi H

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043653#Comment_122043653

Thanks

Deagol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043653#Comment_122043653

Absolute rubbish. As long as the person has NOT ENTERED your property they are free to take photographs. Otherwise how do you think google earth has satellite photos of houses / gardens with people in them and google street view has photos of people in their gardens etc?

Taking pictures through windows into a house intentionally would trigger certain rights to privacy (i.e. right to be let alone). But in this case there is not a level of harassment that would trigger any rights.

Jimi H

He was pointing his camera at me through a ditch while I was eating my dinner inside my house. He said he didn’t see me but I don’t know if that is the case

Wanderer2010

Pull the blinds. I'm afraid he can absolutely take pictures of your home from any public area such as the road.

Deagol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043764#Comment_122043764

You can't prove it either way, from the sounds of it he certainly wasn't harassing you. And since you said large window is a feature that's probably why he was taking pictures of that area?

I wouldn't get too wound up about it, I don't expect someone who's going to rob your house would bother taking photos of it etc. You say yourself the house is unusual, take it as a compliment to your house!

Kaisr Sose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043741#Comment_122043741

Sorry, this is about the person in the house not the act of taking photos from the road. It's absolutely not permitted to do this without the permission of the person. I cant say whether the person taking the photo was aware a person was visible.

This person was also described as being in the ditch, rather than in full view. That could mean they knew there was someone visible and did not wish to be seen photographing.

Nobody, including.Google has an automatic right to take a photo of you when you are on private property. You will also find they are fully covered legally by the Data Commissioer to capture all this info while in public. They do not enter any private property.

All images of people, house numbers/names, reg plates, business names, etc. that are captured are obscured. They would need to have the consent of all those featured to publish the data, images etc, which they don't have.

893bet

and he cycled off.

And you think he was casing your house? Lol

iMac Hunt

You should have taken a photo of him with your phone and see how he would have liked it! This actually happened to me a good few years ago, I was driving up to my house and saw a woman taking photos of each house along the road with a small digital camera, she wasn't being subtle as it was dusk and the flash was going off each time! When I had my car right in front of my house she went ahead and took her photo even though I was right behind her and carried on without even acknowledging me! It was so bizarre and I didn't think of confronting her at the time and about 10mins later phoned the Garda station who agreed that this was very odd and sent out a patrol car to try and find this person to ask what she was up to. I never followed up or found out what she was taking the photos for. I think some people are just odd, with Google maps why would someone even bother doing this!

Jimi H

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043800#Comment_122043800

Look I know it’s unlikely but at the same time it’s not nice. Not sure if you’d find it funny if someone was pointing a camera through your window while you’re eating

Notmything

www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043842

Maybe they posted the photos here

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043799#Comment_122043799

you’re confusing the situation of taking photographs and publishing photographs (particularly for commercial gain.

Google have taken millions of photos of people on private property. Take a look at Street View. There’s loads of shots of people in front gardens, in windows, in fields. That their faces are obscured is a completely separate issue to the photos being taken in the first place.

Kurooi

Are you actually concerned that he was casing the house? How does that work, is he a Pinky and the Brain sort of character, he's going to go back home, print a comically large photo for his wall? Circle in red which window he's going to break into?

Seems more likely he will show the photo to one person, or it will just rot there with 3000 pictures of food and shoes.

Jimi H

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043973#Comment_122043973

No. I guess you find it funny but maybe you wouldn’t like someone taking photos through your window when you’re eating?

Jimi H

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043973#Comment_122043973

Also you’re not very funny

JeffKenna

I don't know the legality of what happened but it would really annoy me. Not sure how anyone could defend someone hiding in a ditch taking pictures of another person.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044094#Comment_122044094

Maybe the OP should have mooned them!

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043986#Comment_122043986

If there's no natural privacy, then I'd have curtains, blinds or window film, so that no one outside could see me.

Kaisr Sose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043900#Comment_122043900

Another poster brought Google into this and I responded to their post.

I understsnd commercial gain, model release and image licencing etc. Google are licensed to do what they do. They are not going about their business deliberately pointing cameras at peoples houses from a ditch.

Nobody in a public space has a right to take photos of anyone inside their private home without the permission of that person. It is a breach of privacy.

If you are unsure Google it.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044376#Comment_122044376

I was responding to this line in your post

“Nobody, including.Google has an automatic right to take a photo of you when you are on private property.”

Augme

You have some rights to privacy, but they are likely not going to achieve what you want. If someone takes a picture of you in your house and publishes them where you are identifiable then you'd be able to act due to your right to privacy. However, if someone is taking photos of your houses your right to privacy doesn't automatically entitle them to stop.

So in conclusion, there's really not much you can do if some randomer is taking a photo of your home.

Ted222

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043653#Comment_122043653

yeah but what law is being breached? Don’t say GDPR. The data protection office couldn’t give a rats ass

BorneTobyWilde

He was clearly trying to get your secret recipe

Ted222

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043986#Comment_122043986

Jesus you’re making a big deal about the eating aspect. Why?

Kaisr Sose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044401#Comment_122044401

I don't understand the point you make. Did you read the post I replied to or just take that sentence out of context?

Google are not going about deliberately taking photos of private houses and their occupants.

Kaisr Sose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044427#Comment_122044427

I did not mention any law as it's a basic tenent of privacy legislation long before GDPR.

The phrase 'Just because you can do something, does not mean you should' comes to mind.

Think, would I like if someone did this to me in my home? Most people would not, and would react the same as the OP. Basic decency and respect says it's not ok to hide in a ditch taking photos of people in their living room.

Ted222

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044498#Comment_122044498

yeah but if someone is going to complain it needs to be on the basis that a law is being broken.

Any basic tenet has its roots in legislation. Where is it this case

breezy1985

Why is it so important to the OP that he was having dinner. It literally comes up in every post.

Would it have been okay to take the photo if the OP was reading a book 🤣

Jimi H

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044592#Comment_122044592

😆 well that’s what happened? I don’t know it just felt like such an invasion of privacy. I probably would have felt the same way if I was reading to be honest

Kaisr Sose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044556#Comment_122044556

Google it.

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043764#Comment_122043764

might of been a bird watcher and there was one between him and your house

Ted222

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044645#Comment_122044645

You’re the one making the claim that remains unsubstantiated.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044498#Comment_122044498

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044621#Comment_122044621

I get why someone would be sensitive about being photographed while eating their dinner. But, I'm afraid, your main defence against this is to not eat your dinner in full public view. In general, if you can be seen, you can be photographed.

Kaisr suggests that this is illegal and that it's "a basic tenet of privacy legislation long before GDPR". He offers the maxim "just because you can do something doesn't mean you should", but there is a counter-maxim; just because you shouldn't do something doesn't mean it's illegal. SFAIK there is no legislation forbidding someone on the public road from photographing what can be seen from the public road.

Dialling things down a little, while the OP is understandably upset at being photographed while eating, it seems clear from the thread title and the OP that that's not really what was going on here. The OP has, by his own account, a house of interesting appearance. The passer-by was photographing the house. The OP was in shot, and he was eating, although unless we see the photograph we don't know if the OP or his dinner are actually discernible in it, and of course we've no way of knowing whether the photographer had noticed the OP, or was aware of what he was doing, or was aware that he was in shot.

Calahonda52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043799#Comment_122043799

re

All images of people, house numbers/names, reg plates, business names, etc. that are captured are obscured. They would need to have the consent of all those featured to publish the data, images etc, which they don't have.

yeah right

ebbsy

My worry would be if this guy was checking out potential places to break in to.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122045358#Comment_122045358

On a bicycle? You are overestimating the work ethic of the typical modern thief. It's highly unlikely.

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122045358#Comment_122045358

Lets go down another rabbit hole - wouldn't a drone be better for looking for places to break in and far less chance of the operator being spotted?

Crakepottle?

Possibly rude but not illegal. Pity you didn't play them at their own game and take a few photos of them. Or even pretend to if your phone isn't to hand and you can't be bothered standing up from your meal.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122045358#Comment_122045358

He could do that without photographing the place. In fact, he's more likely to; by photographing the place he risks drawing attention to himself, which is not what he wants.

Ted222

A guy taking photos of someone eating their dinner in a rural house and then cycling off when confronted.

Sounds like a scene from Father Ted. Was there a milk float nearby?

AyeGer

Is your house a unique once off build, if so it’s likely they were photographing it for ideas for their own build.

Deagol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044645#Comment_122044645

You're the person claiming you know something about a law that gives some right to privacy. It's up to you to provide evidence of this beyond telling us to 'google it'. If you are unable to quote or point a link to this law please admit you have no idea what you're talking about and stop giving out opinions as fact. Thanks.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122045555#Comment_122045555

There is a provisio that it's not legal to photograph someone if you have to put yourself in a vantage point.

Taking photos of someone who is in a private space while standing on a ladder, or climbing a tree in public space is not legal.

SteelyDanJalapeno

Ditch so probably not public property?

Kaisr Sose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122045286#Comment_122045286

I am not explaining what you can find out for yourself.

Your posts on this are strange given that you started thread about a neighbour erecting cameras that you say are recording/capturing iinages on your property.

You claimed it was a breach of privacy and contacted the Gardaí and DPC. You must therefore be aware of your privacy rights on your property without the need for me to explain.