Random issue, with all the restrictions on flying with a camera, I made a 5M pole camera a few months back as a little project, when it would be nice to get a high angle view where flying isn't safe/sensible, but haven't used it much.
By chance today I was reading local news website and saw pic below, details aren't important, but this is a roped off police crime scene, but clearly the press have a ~8M pole camera to snoop over the house/fence, which made me think there can't be any restrictions on this, assuming you are not trespassing etc (this is from public footpath/pavement). As surely if the police could stop this they would have ?
Interesting how the law works ;)
I think the legality depends on the context and the presumption of privacy.
If I have a 4 meter high fence surrounding my garden and I'm stark bollock naked and you are on the other side with a 5 meter high pole then I think you'd be breaking the law big time.
If I'm in my front garden and it's open to public view and you are using the same 5m pole to get a better view then I think you'd be in the clear.
I read once (can't remember where) that expectation of privacy can also mean that if you're injured / receiving medical assistance / distressed etc, you have the right to not be filmed.
The media are exempt from all rules, regulations & common decency. Their only interest in laws is using them to scare monger and create public hysteria.....
Quote from: dogzilla on May 05, 2016, 04:14:27 PM
I think the legality depends on the context and the presumption of privacy.
If I have a 4 meter high fence surrounding my garden and I'm stark bollock naked and you are on the other side with a 5 meter high pole then I think you'd be breaking the law big time.
If I'm in my front garden and it's open to public view and you are using the same 5m pole to get a better view then I think you'd be in the clear.
In England and Wales if you had a 4m fence round your property you would have needed planning permission and building regulations. If you set up surveillance equipment that is intended to specifically observe the adjoining properties, eg over the fence and not your land, you would need planning permission and a very good reason. If the capture of adjoining properties is "incidental" that's ok. If You set up a camera to record your garden and God forbid the neighbours child was captured accidentally in their paddling pool, and said neighbour found out you would be in a world of crap.