On the way to work and on the way home, we unpack the issues drawing attention online and offline. Beyond the facts, we look at the economic value and social meaning behind them. Every issue in the world, unpacked!
"My face is floating around on Instagram."
The number of influencers visiting hotels, restaurants and other tourist destinations to take photos is rising worldwide. As complaints mount over indiscriminate filming and violations of the right to one's own image, businesses in many places are moving to restrict photography.
'Please Don't Come In, Influencers' — Hotels and Restaurants Push Back
The five-star Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, southern France, is restricting photo shoots without prior permission, Britain's Guardian newspaper reported on the 20th.
At the hotel, known for its Mediterranean views and swimming pool, there was a string of cases in which visitors booked only a meal, arrived with bags full of clothes and accessories, and changed outfits repeatedly to shoot photos for social media.
Sophie Bolland, a hotel representative, said the restrictions were introduced because guests want to enjoy the energy of the restaurant and bar while still having their private space protected.
Hollies, a farm shop in Cheshire, England, has also banned photography and video recording between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The shop became a social media destination after Molly-Mae Hague, a cast member of the reality show "Love Island," posted photos of her visit.
Jeremy King, who runs several restaurants in London, expressed his frustration this year in a column for the Evening Standard about influencers all but taking over dining rooms.
A shop on Nantucket, an island in Massachusetts, has posted a "no influencers" notice on its door. In Pomfret, Vermont, officials have restricted the activities of visitors seeking to photograph the autumn foliage.
In Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, tourists flocked to a spot where Mount Fuji appears above a convenience store after the view gained popularity on social media, prompting authorities to install a barrier to block photography.
'My Face Is Floating Around on Instagram' — A Global Clash Over Image Rights
The move to restrict filming is spreading to theme parks as well. In April, Disney was reported to have considered measures to limit for-profit live streaming at Disneyland in the U.S. and Walt Disney World.
Earlier, in March, a "swatting" incident occurred at Disneyland in California, when police were dispatched over a false report during an influencer's live broadcast. The case drew attention to noise during broadcasts, obstruction of walkways by filming equipment and invasions of visitors' privacy.
Tokyo Disneyland has restricted commercial filming and public broadcasting since 2022. Additional rules at Disney's U.S. theme parks were under review at the time, however, and no official policy change has been announced.
Similar conflicts have been playing out in South Korea. At a swimming pool in a Han River park in Seoul this past summer, cases in which users or their family members appeared in footage filmed by other visitors became a point of contention.
One resident said they felt uneasy after seeing people filming underwater with action cameras at the pool. Another user said they were upset to find footage on social media showing themselves and their child in swimsuits.
Unlike indoor swimming pools, the Han River park pool had no separate rules restricting photography at the time, according to accounts.
Filming without permission or posting footage online can also carry legal consequences. Photographing another person is not in itself unlawful, but posting footage on social media without consent and thereby infringing on an individual's right to their own image can give rise to liability for damages.
According to the Korea Legal Aid Corporation, a court recognized an infringement of image rights by a person in their 30s who posted footage featuring another person on social media and ordered them to pay 2 million won in compensation.
It Helps With Publicity, But 'This Is Not a Photo Studio'
Still, some argue that influencers' filming should not be viewed in entirely negative terms.
Anna Pedu, chief marketing officer of the hotel group Beaumier, told the Guardian: "We are in the business of hospitality, not running a photo studio."
Beaumier also works with influencers to promote its hotels, but its position is that not disrupting other guests' experience comes first.
Nicole O'Croon, an influencer, said many creators produce content less for immediate payment than to build a subscriber base and win future brand partnerships.
Some also point to gender bias in negative perceptions of influencers. Sophie Bishop, author of "Influencer Creep," argued that influencer culture, in which women make up a large share of participants, has been disparaged because of its close ties to advertising and promotional work.
O'Croon acknowledged that some creators can inconvenience others while filming, but stressed that this should not be generalized as a problem with all influencers.
