TikTok says that it is working on multiple ways to better enforce its policies regarding nudity, sensual content, and other content not suitable for all audiences, specifically for "borderline" content that has been more challenging to identify.
Grand Teton National Park has canceled its plans to require permits from photographers looking to shoot any kind of portrait for clients in the Wyoming park. The changes had been met with criticism from both photographers and First Amendment lawyers.
Facebook has announced that it will remove what it calls "severe sexualizing content" that targets public figures, and specifically points to sexualized photoshopped images among other targets.
Walmart's Photo Centers might not seem like a major avenue for copyright infringement or photo theft. But PetaPixel has been made aware of an alleged policy change that makes it far easier for bad actors to use and print professional photos without permission.
Peer-to-peer camera gear rental services KitSplit and ShareGrid have launched new Owner Guarantee policies that cover voluntary parting, which is when someone rents your equipment but doesn't return it.
Yesterday, Instagram announced two changes to its "Account Disable Policy." The first will enable Instagram to disable offending accounts more easily; the second means you'll now get a warning before your account is shut down.
Since launching in 2015, KitSplit has become a popular peer-to-peer rental network for camera gear. But gear owners have been exposed to thefts through the service, and after a recent pair of $3,500+ thefts, KitSplit has just announced a Theft Protection Owner Guarantee, the first coverage of its kind.
500px is now strictly a service for sharing and selling "photography," and it has been banning accounts that post images that aren't "photographic" enough. The change in policy is so sharp that 500px is now driving away a user that it once featured as a "Photoshop master."
Facebook has agreed to rethink its stance on nudity following an outcry from photographers who have been protesting the social network's banning of artistic nudity in photographs.
The US State Department is now requiring that virtually everyone applying for US visas submit their social media usernames, including those for the photo-sharing services Instagram and Flickr.
Bob Dylan is known for being a man of few (speaking) words on stage, but he took to the mic during a show this week to call out fans for breaking his well-known "no photos" rule.
If you're a photographer who posts edgy or risqué photos to your Instagram account, you may now see your popularity and view counts plummet. The photo sharing service just announced that it is demoting inappropriate content even if it doesn't go against the Community Guidelines.
American music star Ariana Grande has sparked an outcry from photographers and media organizations with her new concert tour agreement. Reportedly a response to "greedy photographers" taking advantage of her in the past, the new contract requires that photographers hand over full copyright to their photos.
Flickr will begin deleting photos of accounts over the 1,000 file limit starting on March 12th, but the photo-sharing service has just announced two changes to its policy: spared from deletion will be all Creative Commons photos and the accounts of deceased members.
The popular blogging platform Tumblr has announced that starting on December 17th, 2018, it will permanently ban all adult content and nudity. That includes artistic nude photos published by professional photographers.
Flickr announced a controversial decision this month to limit free accounts to 1,000 photos and delete extra existing photos of users who are already over the limit. Many people immediately wondered whether countless Creative Commons photos would be trashed. Today, Flickr reassured the photo community by promising that CC photos aren't going anywhere.
The US Copyright Office has just announced new rules regarding the group registration of photographs. One of the biggest changes is the fact that only 750 unpublished photos can be registered at a time with each claim, when previously there was no limit. For photographers who regularly register extremely large batches of unpublished photos, copyright registration will soon be much more expensive.
Singer and guitarist Jack White, the founder of The White Stripes, has banned fan photos at upcoming live concerts. It's a policy that will be strictly enforced: concert-goers will have their smartphones locked away while they're at the show.
If you'd like to capture close-up drone footage of the Statue of Liberty, you're going to have to do it very soon. The FAA has just announced that drones will be banned from flying close to the famous statue as well as 9 other landmarks. The restriction takes effect October 5th, 2017.
Getty Images has banned photos that contain subjects whose body shapes have been retouched to make them look thinner or larger. The move comes in response to a new law in France that requires that Photoshopped weight be clearly labeled.
It looks like the US Army is discontinuing the use of all DJI camera drones and products in its activities due to concerns about "cyber vulnerabilities." That's according to a memo obtained by sUAS News.
Earlier this month, we reported that the city of Laguna Beach, California, required photographers to pay $100+ for a photo permit even if they were shooting non-commercial photos on public land. After word of the policy spread and complaints began flooding in, Laguna Beach has now changed its policy, making it clear that personal photography is free to do on public property.
Think San Francisco's "discrimination" against high-end camera gear is bad? Get this: the city of Laguna Beach, California, charges a minimum of $100 for a permit if you wish to take non-commercial photos in public places.
Justin Bieber announced this week that he will no longer stop to take photos with fans while out in public. He says things have gotten to the point in which he feels like "a zoo animal" due to the endless impersonal picture requests.
It occurred to me yesterday that the whole idea of "tips" is a bit lopsided. If someone does a great job, we give them a hefty tip; if they do a terrible job, we give them no tip. In other words, the worst thing we can do to someone who provides a bad level of service is to not give them extra money.
That's... kind of a low bar to set. It's not even carrot-and-stick -- it's carrot-and-smaller-carrot.
Reuters has implemented a new worldwide policy for freelance photographers that bans photos that were processed from RAW files. Photographers must now only send photos that were originally saved to their cameras as JPEGs.
The Dallas Police Department has officially released a new general order that's meant to inform officers on photographers' rights. The document, titled "Public Recording of Official Acts," warns officers that they cannot interfere with a person photographing or filming their activities as long as the recording is being done in an appropriate way.
Imagine assembling a portfolio of over 4,000 photographs and then being forced to make it disappear or face life-altering consequences; that's the situation sophomore Anthony Mazur is currently facing at Flower Mound High School in his Texas hometown. After discovering the love of sports photography, the Lewisville Independent School District is now claiming that Anthony’s photographs are theirs and that he has no right to use them.
Freelance photojournalists traveling to rebel-held areas in Syria and putting themselves in serious danger of being kidnapped and/or killed will no longer be able to have their work published by Agence France Presse (AFP).
Facebook doesn’t have it easy when it comes to moderating content; with approximately 1.3 billion active users, it’s inevitable there will be a few mess-ups over time. But one issue Facebook has continually struggled with sorting out is the social network's wishy-washy policy on breastfeeding photographs.
The dust has barely settled from the Instagram policy fumble, but it looks like parent company Facebook might be in for a similar upheaval.
The company's recently proposed changes to its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and Data Use Policy -- which were supposed to take effect on the 5th -- have been delayed after users and privacy groups alike have voiced serious concerns.
Back when Instagram first came on the scene -- you know, before Facebook paid 735 Million dollars to snatch the company up before Twitter could get its hands on it -- the photo sharing app actually encouraged connected apps to use the terms "insta" and "gram" in their names. Thus were born services like Statigram, Webstagram, Luxogram and more.
But a recent change to the company's brand guidelines has Instagram taking a step back and banning any app that would like to use its API from using either of the terms if they would like to enjoy continued access.
You probably wouldn't know it by looking at me, but I belong to a gym.
It's not the fanciest gym on the planet, but it's reasonably nice and the only gym in town that also has an indoor and outdoor pool. And a big glass water dispenser at the front desk with lemons in it. I'm a sucker for a nice water dispenser. My husband and I joined the gym years ago, stopped for awhile, and then rejoined with our children.
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros are due on stage in 15 minutes and I walk up to the doorstaff ticket in hand. They tear the ticket and ask to look in the camera bag for deodorants and liquids. I'm not too sure why. This is the Trinity Centre in Bristol with a capacity of 650 and normally holds community events.
The doorman tuts and says “Interchangeable lens.” I'm a bit confused. “Tour manager has said no interchangeable lens cameras, sorry.” I returned to my car, out the equipment in the boot and went back to the gig.
Most people in today's society have a mobile phone. Most mobile phones have cameras. Anyone and everyone has become an on-the-scene photojournalist, reporting on everything from major news events to the odd and crazy.
Some of these picture-worthy events take place on everyday flights. Shutter-happy passengers, snapping or even video recording the woman on the next aisle over acting unusual or a fellow passenger being disruptive. It's undeniable that we are curious beings, and want to document and share events we witness. But not everyone is pleased citizen photojournalists.
If you're planning to attend the Kentucky Derby early next month, you might want to make sure you'll be content with capturing your memories with a smartphone or point-and-shoot. Churchill Downs, the racetrack that hosts the famous horse race, has unveiled new security measures that will prevent attendees from bringing certain items onto the grounds. Among them: all interchangeable lens cameras.
'Showrooming' is something that's having a big effect in the camera equipment industry and something that many brick-and-mortar retailers are trying to address. It's when consumers walk into a store not with the intention of actually purchasing a camera or lens, but instead to play around with them and evaluate them in person before making the actual purchase for a lower price online.
One store over in Brisbane, Australia has come up with a novel strategy (but not so consumer friendly) for combatting showrooming. To ensure that only customers looking to purchase products walk through their doors, the store is charging a $5 fee just to browse its wares.
"Deadly sniper shot through the lens." That's the title of a photoblog entry published over on Reuters last week by staff photographer Goran Tomasevic, who's covering the deadly conflict in Syria. The photo above was accompanied by the text, "A tank fired a couple of shells onto the top of the building and rubble fell down around us."
Over the last few days, many Instagram and Facebook users received a nasty shock when they were unceremoniously locked out of their accounts. The lock-out was accompanied by a message asking for government-issued proof of ID before being let back in.
If these were famous people or celebrities, that would be understandable. But all manner of users have been locked out of their accounts over the last week pending identification; some are even being asked to provide birth certificates if their IDs are deemed unacceptable.
If you live in California and have been eyeing some camera gear on Amazon, you might want to bust out your wallet and make the purchase this week. On September 15th, 2012, Amazon will start collecting sales tax for purchases made from California. The tax rate ranges from 7.25% to 9.75% depending on where you live, so the cost difference could be quite significant depending on what you buy. For a $1,500 camera or lens, the tax could be as heavy as $150.