Is it legal to film students?

You need to be less defensive. Go to the student union and talk to them about your concerns. There is no need to go overboard with this.

Reply 2

_Ddraig_

19

How are you defining 'filmed'?

There are several lecturers on my course who 'film' their lectures, whereby they 'film' (i.e. record) the desktop screen (lecture slides) and also record the sound. It's actually a very helpful and beneficial system whereby you can essentially go back and view the lecture all over again.

I highly doubt your University will implement a system that is 24/7 big brother monitoring with cameras and microphones set up to monitor your every move.

Reply 3

shawtyb

unless your masturbating in the lecture i dont see how its an invasion of privacy

Reply 4

Charles III

I cannot see how this violates your privacy. A little invasive, yes… but it's not like there's cameras in your accommodation being live streamed or anything. Speak with someone that can help you and ask for clarification.

Reply 5

Original post by GLaurene

My university is bringing in a new policy where all lectures and seminars have to be filmed from September 2016 onwards. The university has consulted staff but this wasn't to get opinions on whether it should happen just how it should happen. Students have not been consulted at all. Personally I feel this to be a gross invasion of privacy and bringing Big Brother culture into universities.
I don't know where students stand legally or if the university will give students and opt in/out or if they can threaten withdrawal as my secondary school did with a finger print system. I consider it to be a gross breach of privacy and fundamentally disagree with it happening but have no idea where I stand and feel this has been decided completely behind students backs.

https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/static/5007/uso/dpdgr.pdf is a useful guide

You should speak to your university and student union about your concerns. Ask specifically about
- how the video will be sorted
- what the video will be used for
- who will have access to the video
- what security will be in place to ensure access is maintained
- what penalties will be in place if security is breached
- whether filming will cover an entire lecture/seminar or just parts
- whether filming will cover lectures and seminars asking for student interaction and questions/feedback answers
- if individual student interactions will be recorded ask whether students can request for their involvement to be edited out before any circulation
- how long the videos will be stored for

If this is just a way to record teaching sessions that will only be made available to people who were timetabled to attend those sessions (ie a way for you to go back and re-view lectures or to catch up on a lecture you missed due to illness) with restrictions in place to prevent access to the wider population (and to punish anyone leaking the videos to the wider population....so any student taking screenshots and posting to facebook would be in trouble) then this sounds positive and not something you'll have any success fighting against.

If they're talking about making videos available without the consent of participants to an audience much wider than the teaching cohort then there may be some issues around data protection and consent that the university will need to review. At the very least there is a disincentive to students to engage and interact with the teaching which is a big nono. Check any declarations you agreed to when enrolling on your course and if they keep pushing things mention the ICO. Follwoing today's little slip up from Greenwich http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35587529 a lot of universities are likely to get a bit twitchy about data protection.

Reply 6

username1921011

14

Original post by GLaurene

My university is bringing in a new policy where all lectures and seminars have to be filmed from September 2016 onwards. The university has consulted staff but this wasn't to get opinions on whether it should happen just how it should happen. Students have not been consulted at all. Personally I feel this to be a gross invasion of privacy and bringing Big Brother culture into universities.
I don't know where students stand legally or if the university will give students and opt in/out or if they can threaten withdrawal as my secondary school did with a finger print system. I consider it to be a gross breach of privacy and fundamentally disagree with it happening but have no idea where I stand and feel this has been decided completely behind students backs.

Universities are legally private space though are generally seen as quasi-public. Basically this means you are there by license, contract or right. Unless upon joining the uni you signed a piece of paper specifically saying they wouldnt or had no right or implied right to film you then they can do whatever they want. I personally dont see that much of a problem as you still have implied rights to the footage as a university is not a public space therefore you dont consent to the standard rules in so far as they cant freely disseminate unless they specifically tell you they reserve the right to do so, upon which you give implied acceptance by continuing to turn up. Because of how lecture halls and seminar rooms operate you are in essence a guest subject to uni rules. They couldnt put cameras in your accommodation or the like however firstly because it may film illegal footage (ie getting out the shower or so forth) and also you have a license as a lodger (which makes it a private space subject to license)

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 7

doodle_333

19

They're likely to be filming the lecturer so the lectures can be available online etc so I wouldn't worry, you're unlikely to actually be in view.

Reply 8

the bear

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/06/30/article-2674786-1F3F94EC00000578-113_634x432.jpg

i don't suppose it would be like Wimbledon where the cameraman zooms in on particularly attractive spectators...

:dontknow:

Reply 9

uberteknik

Original post by GLaurene

My university is bringing in a new policy where all lectures and seminars have to be filmed from September 2016 onwards. The university has consulted staff but this wasn't to get opinions on whether it should happen just how it should happen. Students have not been consulted at all. Personally I feel this to be a gross invasion of privacy and bringing Big Brother culture into universities.
I don't know where students stand legally or if the university will give students and opt in/out or if they can threaten withdrawal as my secondary school did with a finger print system. I consider it to be a gross breach of privacy and fundamentally disagree with it happening but have no idea where I stand and feel this has been decided completely behind students backs.

Blame the half wits whose antics cause the University to take such security measures.

University is open to the public in a public building with public money funded by taxpayers.

Since you are in a public space, you have no rights to object unless the recording takes place in areas segregated for privacy such as changing rooms, lavatories, infirmaries, chappels etc.

Reply 10

Original post by uberteknik

Blame the half wits whose antics cause the University to take such security measures.

University is open to the public in a public building with public money funded by taxpayers.

Since you are in a public space, you have no rights to object unless the recording takes place in areas segregated for privacy such as changing rooms, lavatories, infirmaries, chappels etc.

a) filming lectures is generally for educational resources not security
b) universities are not public spaces or publicly owned. They're independent charitable organisations.

Reply 11

uberteknik

Original post by PQ

a) filming lectures is generally for educational resources not security
b) universities are not public spaces or publicly owned. They're independent charitable organisations.

a) Same arguments apply.

b) Let me educate you:

Charitable organisation status is for tax purposes only.

Only 33% of a universities' revenue comes from it's students and even that is heavily subsidised by the UK tax-payer for all students who take out student loans via the governments loan scheme (the overwhelming majority in other words). Students who do not earn enough after the course do not repay the loans.

Circa 33% of the money comes from the Higher Education Funding Council - paid for by the UK tax-payer. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/higher-education-funding-council-for-england

The remainder is derived from Research Grants and Research Contracts, endowments and investment income, consultancy services, accommodation lettings and hiring out facilities etc.

In other words, 2/3 or more of UK university monies comes from the public purse one way or another.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 12

Original post by uberteknik

a) Same arguments apply.

b) Let me educate you:

Charitable organisation status is for tax purposes only.

Only 33% of a universities' revenue comes from it's students and even that is heavily subsidised by the UK tax-payer for all students who take out student loans via the governments loan scheme (the overwhelming majority in other words). Students who do not earn enough after the course do not repay the loans.

Circa 33% of the money comes from the Higher Education Funding Council - paid for by the UK tax-payer. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/higher-education-funding-council-for-england

The remainder is derived from Research Grants and Research Contracts, endowments and investment income, consultancy services, accommodation lettings and hiring out facilities etc.

In other words, 2/3 or more of UK university monies comes from the public purse one way or another.

A) how does "blame the halfwits who require security" apply to a university recording lectures to provide broader learning resources for their students?

B) Thank you for the lesson. I'm afraid it was a bit wasted on me as none of that was beyond the basics I learned when I started working at a university 15 years ago.

Universities are independent organisations accountable to the trustees of their charitable board and the members of their governing councils. They aren't owned by the government.

Majority Public funding does not equal public ownership, a public body, public buildings or a public space. Laws about surveillance in public places do not apply on private property owned by a university.

Reply 13

uberteknik

Original post by PQ

A) how does "blame the halfwits who require security" apply to a university recording lectures to provide broader learning resources for their students?

B) Thank you for the lesson. I'm afraid it was a bit wasted on me as none of that was beyond the basics I learned when I started working at a university 15 years ago.

Universities are independent organisations accountable to the trustees of their charitable board and the members of their governing councils. They aren't owned by the government.

Majority Public funding does not equal public ownership, a public body, public buildings or a public space. Laws about surveillance in public places do not apply on private property owned by a university.

Unless there is a contract which explicitly states you will not be recorded, I doubt you have an argument. Until then the university will make up it's rules as it goes along.

Reply 14

Original post by uberteknik

Unless there is a contract which explicitly states you will not be recorded, I doubt you have an argument. Until then the university will make up it's rules as it goes along.

See post 7 on this thread.

It's not my university filming, I'm not objecting to it. I was just directing the OP to some guidance and questions for clarification that are likely to help OP come to an agreement with their university that protects privacy, doesn't breach DPA and provides a useful learning resource.

And also responding to bs replies that miss the point of the OP and misunderstand the issues involved.

Reply 15

kprime2