To entertain the masses and increase the media presence of the public, social media platforms have started to normalize the absence of media consent on many different sites.
The idea of media consent focuses on obtaining permission from people before, but sometimes after, they are recorded, filmed or photographed, and furthermore, posted on a social media platform.
“[A] Media Consent clause grants permission for an individual’s image, voice, or likeness to be recorded, used, and distributed by another party, typically for promotional, educational, or informational purposes,” LawInsider said.
Gaining permission is not a difficult step to take to respect privacy, but it is often not a precaution that is taken.
According to University of Basel Personalized Health Project Manager Christophe Olivier Schneble, growth has caused social media to abandon the idea of consent.
“Social media companies have experienced tremendous growth during the last decade; however, they have largely neglected the issues of privacy and confidentiality,” Schneble said.
Scandals that often blow up on the internet are of embarrassing or intimate moments of people who have not consented to have their face, name or life displayed for the public through the media.
An example of a moment like this was captured during a Coldplay concert, on July 16, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
“[Kristin] Cabot was captured on the band’s ‘kiss cam’ in an embrace with Andy Byron, then Astronomer’s CEO and Cabot’s superior,” NBC News assignment editor Samantha Cookinham said.
Both concert-goers were in separate relationships, and their affair was made public all too quickly.
While some might be glad that the cheaters have been exposed, the quick-spreading news also affected their innocent family members and friends.
According to author Christina Wyman, the media overlooked how publicizing the scandal would affect others.
“To say that the families at the center of this spectacle, and most unfortunately, their children, are likely to be humiliated and traumatized is an understatement. The damage is done,” Wyman said.
According to Wyman, it is not the public’s business to interfere in private issues that do not concern them.
“Every consequence that society decided this pair should endure may not be what their families want or need,” Wyman said. “Not only do we not know what should happen next, but it is absolutely none of our business.”
It is situations like these that highlight why media consent is so important and how little it appears in society.
It does not matter what another person does; their personal lives should not be available as public entertainment if they do not choose for it to be.
According to philosophy professor Kelly Oliver, embarrassing moments are not the only inappropriate types of content that are displayed without consent.
“‘Creepshots’ are photographs of women’s bodies taken without their consent. Lack of consent is essential, as is outlined on websites that specialize in creepshots,” Oliver said.
Content like this creates a dangerous and unsafe atmosphere, especially for women who should not have to be on alert or worried about sexual material that was not consented to, appearing on the internet.
Media consent is a necessary component of our society that needs to be taken seriously and can harm reputations and cause severe damage to people if not followed.
“By utilizing Media Consent and Release Forms, you address each individual’s rights and responsibilities,” LegalGPS said. “[They] not only serve as a legal protection mechanism but also act as a valuable communication tool, ensuring that all parties understand the terms and conditions of the project.