ben0850 Posted October 3, 2012 Report Share Posted October 3, 2012 (edited) Evening all. I'm interested to know your thoughts about the following issue / hobby. We have two family farms, one is passed by a public footpath and the other has a single lane B road right past the yard. Over the last few weeks we have noticed that a large number of close and detailed photos have been appearing on the Internet of our yards, buildings and even our house. These photos are taken by individuals who upload them onto a website called "geographing". The website is linked to OS maps and displays each photo with the os grid reference and also the location on a map. Quite a number of our neighbours farms have also started appearing along with houses in the village, pheasant pens, grouse butts etc etc. I think that the individuals are acting legally as long as the photos are taken from a public right of way?? (Fingers crossed I'm wrong). I'm not against pictures of the views etc but close up photos of our equipment, vehicle reg plates etc etc isn't cricket in my book and basically gives the bad lads a shopping list (following google street view we got a fair bit lifted until we got google to "fuzz" us out). So...what are your thoughts chaps? You should be aware of the issue as its a serious resource for snoopers, thieves and anyone else upto mischief. Nb: we have contacted the site to ask for the photos of our yard etc to be taken down and are awaiting a response Edited October 3, 2012 by ben0850 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest1957 Posted October 3, 2012 Report Share Posted October 3, 2012 If they are taken from a public place and are not of people who have a reasonable expectation of privacy then they are fair game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3vert Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 I agree with guest1957 but would also add that pretty much any member of the public can also be photographed from a public place as well as buildings and equipment, with you being powerless to prevent it (in any legal way). I think youve taken the sensible approach by asking the website to remove the images you feel are putting your property at risk, with a bit of luck they will be sensible about it and remove them. Failing that I doubt there is much you can do legally about the situation! Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crosshair Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 I have the same problem, the photographs seem to be taken by amateur photographers then put on their site. I am more fortunate than you as my footpaths are well away from the farm. My deterrent against them are the farm dogs, one group of ramblers jumped into the field with the bull to get away from the dogs. Good luck with getting them removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillmouse Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 We suffered this too at a previous home. Very detailed photographs posted on Geograph taken from a public footpath and they were not taken down when requested. It is legal to photograph almost anything that is visible from a public footpath or other Right of Way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reece Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 If it was from a public right of way, it's legal. Don't think it would be if they trespassed to get it, but I'm not sure about that exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 What a pointless hobby! I just noticed they have taken photos of pretty much all the farms and private homes in my area and its like a ***** shopping web site...total muppets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bb Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 It is legal to photograph almost anything that is visible from a public footpath or other Right of Way. There's a fair few MoD sites around hear that have "Photography Prohibited" signs stuck to the wire fences. I just love taking photographs of those signs. Sad, I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mat Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 I look at the ones on there for my area, some pictures of a field or two of rape and a cattle trough Why people feel the need to go out and do this i do not know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 I just looked up my village on there-some of the most pointless, dull and irrelevant photos I have ever seen. What would possess someone to photograph a bus stop and post it online? A road junction? Clearly some of these people need a proper hobby. Hopefully an indoor one to keep them away from us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norrie Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 (edited) Hiya, I just had a look on that site at the areas I shoot, and every one of them is on that site!!! Even out of the way tracks to the grounds are shown, cars, plant,machinery and stock.....some of my farms are miles apart, up to 18...and it's the same couple/three guys posting the pics, so, looks like they have nothing better to do than drive around taking pictures of folks property.....maybe all in the one car!! Strange... BTW, in my home village, they have pics of the bus stops too...weird or what...one is a sandstone built stop, and the caption says, many years old, they built this to last...it's maybe 10 years old !!! LOL.....no research done either... Edited October 4, 2012 by Norrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben0850 Posted October 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 Cheers for your replies chaps. To update you the photographs of our yard and equipment have been taken down from the site. We ended up messaging the contributor who actually uploaded the photographs and very politely asked if he would consider removing those particular ones as they posed a security risk for our business. Luckily he was reasonable and agreed without much fuss. I understand however he could simply have told us to ****** off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ack-ack Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 (edited) Cheers for your replies chaps. To update you the photographs of our yard and equipment have been taken down from the site. We ended up messaging the contributor who actually uploaded the photographs and very politely asked if he would consider removing those particular ones as they posed a security risk for our business. Luckily he was reasonable and agreed without much fuss. I understand however he could simply have told us to ****** off! I hear where you're coming from on the issue, I felt google street view was enough of an intrusion. Folk have got divorced because of all that! Snaps of grinning blokes leaving houses zipping up their trouser mausers have been used as evidence in many a divorce case I'm sure. Technology is six of one & half a dozen of the other. Can you imagine X thousand folk with a common interest being able to communicate at once and share a proper good thing like PW 20 years ago ?? Some tech stuff sucks, some is good. Glad that they respected your request, I hoenstly think that the folks that take/post these pics haven't a clue of the implications. They think the countryside is a big Constable painting with charachters from the chuffimng Archers. They also think that Gypsies still ride around in their vardos choring the odd shushee and doing seasonal farm work. Some hopefully still do but the reality is different. Edited October 12, 2012 by ack-ack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan-250 Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 I can't believe how many there is of the area that I live in, and I thought it was a quiet place. Think there's a few peeping toms around with all these pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasper3 Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 there are good and bad things that come out of this. ..yes its an intrusion on your privacy and that i agree with ....... .but there is also a law saying you can take still and movie pictures from a public highway/path/bridleway , and i hope that never changes one good thing that google street maps has done for me is...... my french nextdoor neighbour has just built 2mts into my land..he has now dropped dead , i havn't been able to get over there for two years (looking after mum with alzhimers) anyway..his solicitor has been in touch and now i can see what he has done (through street view) I am now in line for compensation so for me....its worked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ack-ack Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 there are good and bad things that come out of this. ..yes its an intrusion on your privacy and that i agree with ....... .but there is also a law saying you can take still and movie pictures from a public highway/path/bridleway , and i hope that never changes one good thing that google street maps has done for me is...... my french nextdoor neighbour has just built 2mts into my land..he has now dropped dead , i havn't been able to get over there for two years (looking after mum with alzhimers) anyway..his solicitor has been in touch and now i can see what he has done (through street view) I am now in line for compensation so for me....its worked This is the beauty of technology. The life stakes have been upped. So much more to gain but so much more to loose. I would rather be in a less densely populated country with technology of the 70's......... Like Wales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3vert Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 In fairness this is a result for you I am glad the person posting the images took a sensible approach (most likely because you were polite and reasonable) and that they have now been removed! Seems like a victory for common sense!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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