Between Freedom and Privacy – UMY

Photography in public areas has lengthy been thought-about regular and freely obtainable to anybody. However, within the digital, linked age, this follow has sparked a brand new debate: does an individual nonetheless have the fitting to privateness in public?

This query turns into much more related when many pictures taken on the road, in parks, or in public areas are then uploaded, distributed, and even traded with out permission. According to Dr. Fajar Junaedi, S.Sos., M.Si., a media observer and lecturer in Communication Studies, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), this phenomenon emphasizes the significance of upholding public pictures ethics amidst right this moment’s technological advances and visible tradition.

“The issue of public photography isn’t just about capturing images, but also who is being captured, in what context, and how the photos are used. This is where privacy issues become crucial,” Fajar stated in an interview by way of WhatsApp on Friday (October 31).

Fajar refers to Melissa Kate Miles’s (2015) analysis, “Photography, Privacy, and the Public,” which explains that social and technological adjustments have blurred the boundaries between personal and public house. While expectations of privateness could lower in public areas, this doesn’t suggest photographers are free to take and share pictures with out permission.

Furthermore, Fajar emphasised the significance of sustaining a steadiness between the fitting to freedom of expression and the person’s proper to privateness.

“Photography, journalism, and art are all part of freedom of expression. However, there are still moral and legal limits, especially when someone’s photo is used without proper context or places them in a vulnerable position,” he defined.

He additionally highlighted that perceptions of privateness are closely influenced by tradition, social norms, and institutional forces such because the media and companies. For instance, photographing a crowd in a public house is perhaps thought-about acceptable, however photographing people in personal settings may nonetheless be thought-about an moral violation.

“What’s important now is how photographers, the media, and the public learn to respect individuals, even when they’re in public spaces. Ethics don’t stop at the sidewalk,” he concluded. (Jeed)