Shooting securely
In the field one can either plan ahead or, if in the wrong place at the right time, work quickly to document events as they play out. If you have the luxury to plan your shoot you can decide on the most suitable camera for the task and prepare it accordingly. You can also inform those whom you might interview of the implications of their appearance on camera, giving them to choice to consent to being seen or to remain anonymous. But if you don't, then you have to make do with what you've got and be prepared to take minimise the risk to yourself, your sources and your subject(s).
Case study
On Sunday 6 of February the minority Ahmadiah sect in Cikeusik, Indonesia, sustained a brutal and fatal attack by some 1500 people carrying bamboo, rocks and machetes1. In spite of the presence of up to 30 armed police officers, the Ahmadia were overwhelmed. The entire attack was captured on video in graphic detail. The uploader, wanting to support the Ahmadi, published the video almost immediately after, however some of the Ahmadiah members captured on camera were subsequently terrorised further. Even so, with so much evidence available and the video screened on national Indonesian television days after the case has languished in the courts and the perpetrators yet to be brought to justice.
In this example the intention to raise awareness encouraged reprisals on those identified on video. In addition, that the video was published at all has not aided in the Ahmadi case, one of many such cases that has lowered the publics faith in Indonesia’s court system.
Known issues and what you can do
Identification
- Cameras are ubiquitous. Each can identify the user in the own way. If you wish to remain anonymous consider the following conditions and the precautions you can take.
- Touch screen interfaces, on smart-phones and pads capture traces of not only commonly used features but characters too. A high-contrast photocopy of a touchscreen may yield fingerprints and even passwords. Wipe frequently!
- Lenses too, if not handled correctly, can reveal fingerprints and unique forms of grime that can identify and / or locate where devices have been. Clean lenses frequently. Wipe with a lens cloth in a circular motion from the centre of the lens out.
- Meta data on digital camera devices equipped with GPS receivers such as smartphones can locate the geographical location of a shoot. This can be useful when needing to validate what has been recorded, but if can also put people at risk. If risk is an issue ensure location recording is switched off.
Visual anonymity
Not everyone wants to be recognised on video. As evidenced in the case study, surviving victims sustained reprisals as they were easily identified once the video went online and viral.
- If you've captured a critical event weigh up the implications of getting it online. Will it help or hinder the cause? What can I do to protect the identities of those I've filmed? Who have I filmed that has nothing to do with the event, and will their appearance implicate them in the incident?
- Make the time to think through these issues. If identification is an issue, take the trouble to blur the faces off all those people you feel may be at risk if identified. If in doubt, blur that face out!
- The development of applications, such as ObscuraCam by The Guardian Project, are particularly useful for people without a background and / or training in video production. That is, individuals who have little knowledge to mitigate the ethics of filming in critical situations and how to prepare videos prior to publishing online. These applications are designed to blur/disguise faces either whilst filming or directly after.
Securing consent
In some countries filming someone without their knowledge or consent could land you with a lawsuit, or worse, for invasion of privacy. It could also do damage to the cause you intend to support if those you intend to video have no idea what your intentions are. Implied consent, where someone indicates they're aware they're on camera, may be enough to get you over the privacy hurdle, but may not protect those who appear in your video. You may not know where your video could end up or how it will be used. In the spur of the moment you may not have time to secure anyone's consent, but if you do, it's your responsibility to ensure people are well informed.
- Ask yourself these few questions:
- Do the people you are filming know your intentions?
- Do they know your video will be published, where it might be seen and how far it may spread?
- Do they know what the Internet is?
- How can you best protect your sources?
- Advise your subjects about your project's intentions. What is it, why are you making it and where do you intend it to go? There may however be situations where you are do not wish to reveal those intentions to your subjects, for example if you trying to expose practices they are implicated in.
- Make sure people are aware that if it goes onto the Internet it may be viewed by not only supporters to their cause, but by antagonistic groups too.
- Finally, you can secure their consent by having them:
- Sign a consent, or release form;
- If you're not carrying hard-copy release forms, get their consent on video;
- Alternatively, if you're smart-phone savvy, have their photo, audio or video consent appended to a prepared consent template. Tools such as Evernote™ can be used for such purposes, and particularly useful because you can back these materials up online.
On-location security
If you're holding a video camera and you're in a volatile situation you could be a target and so to any one that may be with you. Even journalists, with press passes, are not safe in some conflict zones. It pays to be discrete. Here's a few suggestions.
- Do you really need to video the events playing out in front of you? It might be just as effective, and less dangerous to record audio. Ensure you have options.
- The smaller the camera the more discrete you can be.
- In some situations it might be prudent to have two cameras available. Another person would carry a hidden camera whilst you carry the more obvious one. This way, if one camera is confiscated not only can your team keep shooting, but there exists a record of anything that happens to you.
More information
- Rayda, N. Horrific Video Shows Brutality of Attack on Ahmadiah, Jakarta Globe, http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/horrific-video-shows-brutality-of-attack-on-ahmadiyah/421214^