Photos of alleged drunks are becoming more common on social networks due to angry innkeepers. But is it allowed to publish such images from surveillance cameras?
“What is not nailed down is stolen”, is the dismay of many hut owners in Tyrol. Cutlery and unattended skis were coveted stolen goods almost every day, and not just this winter. “Even a donation box for mountain rescue has been stolen,” Christa Kröll-Brindlinger, landlady of the Granatalm on the Penkenjoch, recently told the “Tiroler Krone”.
Landlady was successful with threats on the Internet
As reported, the landlady of the Zillertaler was also annoyed by Zechpreller. Four holidaymakers ate and drank for 178.30 euros at the beginning of February, but then fled without paying. Kröll-Brindlinger, however, fought back, quickly posting the unpaid bill online on social networks and threatening to publish photos of the drunks from the surveillance camera. Successfully! The next day the bill was meekly paid by the holidaymakers.
A look at Facebook, Instagram and Co. reveals that some hosts go even further and care little about potential data protection violations. For example, the owners of an après-ski bar in Saalbach-Hinterglemm recently went looking for suspected cheaters with a ‘mug photo’.
Allowed or not?
But are hosts allowed to post surveillance camera photos on social media? “Of course it can be problematic,” says Karl Gladt of the internet ombudsman, who helps with issues related to copyright, data protection law and personal rights with the “My Picture on the Net” platform. “You always have to ask yourself whether such a publication is proportionate.”
If there is a suspicion that a crime has been committed, it is probably better to report it and hand over the photos to the police. “If there are also other people in the photo or there is a possibility of confusion, such photos on the Internet can even have criminal consequences for the landlord,” Gladt emphasizes.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
