is it illegal for someone to take a picture of you while you are on your own property with out permission?

Question

this person has been watching my family and i while we work outside. yesterday she started taking pictures of us while outside working on my runin shed. she stayed on her property but did not have permission to take pictures and didn't stop when asked. she was also taking pictures of people and their trucks while driving in my driveway.

Answer 1

Not if you are outside or visible from the outside (i.e. standing in front of an open window). If you are outside it is considered that you are 'in public view'. As long as the person was taking the picture with the camera in plain sight it's legal.

Answer 2

Where you doing anything that could be constued to be illegal? If not she can't take your picture, but on the public street she can as long as it's not harrassing and you have to be asked if it's OK to do so first. You asked her to stop and she didn't, you should of called the police as you have a resonable expectation of privacy. It could be construed as an invasion of your privacy, it depends on the laws in your local. However if they pay you, then the picture is their property, and they can do what they wish with it, and you will have no recourse.

Answer 3

Sounds to me like you have one wonderful neighbor! Just kidding!
I don't see where you can stop her from taking "images" of her surroundings.
It sounds like she is trying to build a case against you for building something (runin shed?) without a permit.
Get even with her and borrow a big 35mm camera with a telephoto lens on a tripod and make it obvious that you are taking pictures of her, especially when she is peeking out the window.
Ha-ha!!!! I love revenge!

Answer 4

"is it illegal for someone to take a picture of you while you are on your own property with out permission?" - It is not illegal to take pictures of anything that can be seen from a location where you have the right to be. As such, a person can take a picture of you while you are on your property if they take the picture from a public place (standing on the street) or from their property.

Answer 5

Possibly. If you are in your front yard, no. If you are in your back yard and it is fenced in where you have the expectation of privacy - then yes. This is common law for private use of photos. Now, if the photos are used for commercial gain regardless of where the photos were taken - then it is illegal. If they are taken of you in your back yard where privacy is expected and your photos are posted on the net, then there is an invasion of privacy issue. I hope the clarifies the issue.

Answer 6

I don't know where you are in the world but here in the UK it's only illegal if you have a 'reasonable expectation of privacy' e.g. if you're inside with the curtains closed. Publishing them would be another matter, of course.

Answer 7

I think that a person can take pictures but cannot publish without your permission.
Best to call a lawyer on this one.

Answer 8

Technically, it is illegal, as you're not allowed to use someone's likeness in your photography (in the spirit of the law, I'm taking it that they mean living things such as humans and pets) without their permission unless on neutral ground such as horse shows, or any sort of animal show where you're a photographer and it's usually inferred that the subject is subject to be photographed at any moment.

If you take a photograph at a park or something, you're technically supposed to blur out the person's face if you don't have their permission to use their likeness.

This is, of course, if you don't pay them..

Answer 9

If you were outside in the yard or otherwise in the public view, then it was NOT illegal.

Answer 10

You need to contact an attorney to find out the parimeters of this. This is invasion of privacy, in my eyes, and also may be slanderous and used for defamation if she posts them on the internet (altered for example and it's easy to do). Also contact the police to file harrassment charges.