[thegrimmest]

I’m not sure I agree that consent should be a requirement for photographing people in public. You have a right to observe people in public. You have a right to take notes about these people and publish them. You have a right to hire a person to sit in a public place and record their observations, and to publish these to your heart’s content.

Technologically augmenting these rights does not change them. A pen and paper to record observations is a technological augmentation to memory and recall. A newspaper is an augmentation to a gossip corner. A camera is just the same. A person should be able to record and retransmit any information they come across in public, regardless of technology, since ownership of an observation is fundamentally the observer’s.

[cardanome]

> You have a right to observe people in public. You have a right to take notes about these people and publish them.

Not completely. If you keep staring at me, following me around and taking notes I am going to call the police even if you keep to public spaces.

While it is not illegal to stare at people I would strongly advice you to not do so. You will find that some people will react quite badly to it.

> You have a right to hire a person to sit in a public place and record their observations, and to publish these to your heart’s content.

No, you can't. They can write about the people they saw in general terms but once you publish information that directly identifies me and contains personal information about me, I am gonna sue you. Might vary depending on country though.

People are making such high level philosophical argument about why they should be allowed to photograph strangers but no one answers why. It is hard for me to come up with any non malicious reason. Sure, maybe you just like photography but then again photograph people that consent to it.

Not to mention even if you legally can, I doubt that running around photographing strangers will gain you any positive reputation. In practice you are well advised to ask for consent anyway.

[thegrimmest]

> You will find that some people will react quite badly to it

It’s a good thing we have laws, courts, and prisons for people who can’t control themselves.

> once you publish information that directly identifies me and contains personal information about me, I am gonna sue you

For what? What right of yours have I violated by retransmitting publicly available information about you? Presumably this right of yours would also be infringed if I gossiped about you? I agree it’s not a polite thing to do, but rights only count when they protect contentious actions.

> It is hard for me to come up with any non malicious reason

Free people don’t need to justify their actions. Your country may infringe on your rights, but that doesn’t invalidate the assertion they exist. Freedom of speech and the consequential freedom of the press are fundamental to a free society. Having to justify yourself when you’re not harming anyone is tyrannical.