How do you feel about having your picture posted on social media?

patooyee · Jan 5, 2016

I am uncomfortable taking a picture of a customer during their meal and then posting it on our FB page for the purposes of advertising. It's uncomfortable for me to take the pic and I feel is an area of potential legal trouble.

Conversely, if I was a customer stuffing my face with messy food, I would not want my picture posted. Never mind the security risks of everyone in the world knowing exactly where I am or am not at any given time.

Lastly, I work hard as hell to keep pics of my daughter off of FB. (My wife would have nothing but pics on her FB page if I let her.) If I am out eating my daughter is most likely with me. Or if she's not, I do not feel that the entire world needs to know that she is somewhere possibly unprotected. I'm not naive, I understand that she will someday have a life of her own without me, etc. But I hope to postpone advertisement of that fact until she is at least old enough to somewhat protect herself. The last thing I want is some business owner negating my efforts to keep my daughter safe for his or her financial profit.

Yet I see many businesses doing this constantly.

Am I weird in my concerns?

TacomaJD · Jan 5, 2016

Yes. Or maybe it's just me, I would have no worry about being randomly captured in a promotional picture. What really does it hurt? Some people just don't like cameras, I get that. I see no reason for concern in what you described though.

Edit: Cool would be randomly captured in a dining room photo....uncool would be randomly shoving a camera in someone's face while eating. Wanted to clarify.

Mortalis5509 · Jan 5, 2016

Re:

I would not unless the person was ok with it. Now would I go up and ask if I could, No.

I think it would be ok at promotional events, not sitting down eating or something similar to that.

patooyee · Jan 5, 2016

Yes, I feel promotional events are somewhat different. Something where people know that they are interacting with the general public and might be photographed.

I am referring to if you are just sitting there, eating your meal, having a convo with your wife or something, and the business owner comes up to your table, asks you to smile, thanks you for coming in, and then maybe later on you find out they posted it to their FB page with a caption that says something like, "This happy couple is enjoying our new spicy chicken fajita for their first time! Come in and try one soon! #Applebees"

pholmann · Jan 5, 2016

I'm not ok with it.

lowbudgetjunk · Jan 5, 2016

We used to run into this at the bar. Patrons did not want us to take any pictures at the actual bar top with shots/beer/mixed drinks. In the same night, they would bitch like hell if we didn't get some of them dancing with a beer while the band played. Before you say.....they had a few and were less inhibited, they'd snap like hell again if we took pictures later at the bar and would tell us not to post them.

As for me personally. I don't mind people i know taking photos (and posting to Facebook) and i don't mind videos or pictures being posted here. But, I am a little weirded out by random people just taking pictures of me and/or my family. It hasn't happened often, but I have removed myself from situations where random camera human was just snapping away.

Nuts · Jan 5, 2016

Why not ask the person you want to photograph?

xjmarc · Jan 5, 2016

We celebrated our 4th birthday at our restaurant back in November and had a week long party and posted tons of pics on FB, even had a photographer taking the pics. BUT everyone was asked if they wanted their picture taken and we had a "photo booth" with funny hats, masks, etc. Most were happy to do it but there were a few that didn't want to participate and they weren't bugged about it. Ask and if they said no then no problem since plenty others said yes. On the other end of the spectrum my mother was posting pictures of my now 8 year old neice and I had a talk with her. Ones of her at get togethers and such with other kids aren't that big of a deal but she posted some of her and my sister in law in the pool and I had an issue with that. She removed them after I explained my concern. If I had a kid I'd be very particular about what was and wasn't put up for the world to see. I have my fb page set where only certain people can see pics I post but I'm sure there are ways around that.

patooyee · Jan 5, 2016

AdamF said:
Why not ask the person you want to photograph?

It's awkward for one. But then if you get into legal trouble it is just hearsay that you obtained permission. Someone could easily just say they told you no and you did it anyway, you wouldn't have any way to prove otherwise. We actually have waivers for this, legal documents we are supposed to have customers sign and then keep on file. But that's even more awkward. "Hey, mind filling out this legal document in the middle of your dinner so that I can use your likeness for financial gain?" Plus, I see other businesses posting pics so often that I know they aren't getting the waivers signed. That just puts me in a worse legal situation. "I know I am supposed to have them sign the waver but I did it anyway." Not a very good argument to put before a judge. Just pulling the form out indicates that there are legal questions about it in the first place.

rpf500 · Jan 5, 2016

patooyee said:
Yes, I feel promotional events are somewhat different. Something where people know that they are interacting with the general public and might be photographed.

I am referring to if you are just sitting there, eating your meal, having a convo with your wife or something, and the business owner comes up to your table, asks you to smile, thanks you for coming in, and then maybe later on you find out they posted it to their FB page with a caption that says something like, "This happy couple is enjoying our new spicy chicken fajita for their first time! Come in and try one soon! #Applebees"

I'd tell them to move along if I was asked in this scenario.

Nuts · Jan 5, 2016

patooyee said:
It's awkward for one. But then if you get into legal trouble it is just hearsay that you obtained permission. Someone could easily just say they told you no and you did it anyway, you wouldn't have any way to prove otherwise. We actually have waivers for this, legal documents we are supposed to have customers sign and then keep on file. But that's even more awkward. "Hey, mind filling out this legal document in the middle of your dinner so that I can use your likeness for financial gain?" Plus, I see other businesses posting pics so often that I know they aren't getting the waivers signed. That just puts me in a worse legal situation. "I know I am supposed to have them sign the waver but I did it anyway." Not a very good argument to put before a judge. Just pulling the form out indicates that there are legal questions about it in the first place.

What about having an employee sit for the pictures, or have one take a photo of you, or just hire an actor?

patooyee · Jan 5, 2016

AdamF said:
What about having an employee sit for the pictures, or have one take a photo of you, or just hire an actor?

Haha, that's all cool. But not really the question.

Nuts · Jan 5, 2016

patooyee said:
Haha, that's all cool. But not really the question.

oh, Ok then hell no I don't want someone taking my picture while I'm eating or doing anything! Lol

xjmarc · Jan 5, 2016

Never considered waivers but when we did ours it was not at the table but a section to the side where they had to purposely come to and they were told what it was for. It was strictly voluntary. All the other pictures we post on social media, FB twit etc is of food or the employees. We don't make a habit of taking pics of customers. Just on special occasions like the Birthday or contest and they are made aware of what it's for. For example when you were ordering your food my wife, the one who takes orders most of the time, ask if you wanted your picture taken for our birthday party post of fb. About half said yes and if they said no that was the end of it. If I were somewhere and they were pushy about it I'd leave.

xjmarc · Jan 5, 2016

And we don't take any pictures of people actually eating. There have been a few of people who created things that are now on our menu but the picture is of them and the thing they came up with.

TacomaJD · Jan 5, 2016

patooyee said:
Yes, I feel promotional events are somewhat different. Something where people know that they are interacting with the general public and might be photographed.

I am referring to if you are just sitting there, eating your meal, having a convo with your wife or something, and the business owner comes up to your table, asks you to smile, thanks you for coming in, and then maybe later on you find out they posted it to their FB page with a caption that says something like, "This happy couple is enjoying our new spicy chicken fajita for their first time! Come in and try one soon! #Applebees"

Ok, since you elaborated on how the photo was taken, no......I probably would have choice words with said photographer. But if it was like a step back and take a photo of a full dining room of happy customers, that's not of any concern to me at all. Minimally intrusive and would contain several folks.

bbone · Jan 5, 2016

Doesn't bother me. Take a picture hell paint a portrait ...this is what I look like on a Facebook or in real life. (Not on Facebook anymore so really dont have a dog in the fight)

LandSpeeder · Jan 5, 2016

Yes, that's weird. It's not a secret how people look.
I assume that at any moment in public, I am being recorded to some extent. And it's likely happening.
Always act like you're on stage.

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LandSpeeder · Jan 5, 2016

patooyee said:
Yet I see many businesses doing this constantly.

I suppose I'm at a loss on your examples. I can't think of one I've seen on FB. Can you link an example you describe?

What pages? You hastagged Applebees, but I don;t eat there and I dang sure don't follow them on FB. Do they do this? post up a link, I wanna see.

patooyee · Jan 5, 2016

I just used Applebee's as a generic example of a business that people would recognize. I've just seen it done on business pages in the past. I have no specific example that I am thinking of right now. I am not at liberty to say exactly why I posted this. I'm sorry to be so vague. The poll results right now are confirming my suspicions though, that's really all I needed to know.