New Zealand DPA Warns Against Posting Shoplifters' Images
Businesses shouldn't publicly shame shoplifters, New Zealand Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster said Tuesday.
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The country's Privacy Act allows companies to report retail crime to the police, Webster's office said, but "a word of caution: businesses sharing photos online or on a public wall of shame might think it's a quicker way to catch possible shoplifters, or a useful deterrent, but it's a blunt tool that can cause real harm and potentially break the law."
Wrongly linking someone's image to a crime or allegation of wrongdoing can cause emotional harm and potentially subject someone to reactions such as public shaming and violence, Webster said.
Before displaying someone's image, businesses should ask whether they know who the person is, whether they have obtained the individual's permission, whether the person is identifiable, whether it's fair to post the image and whether it will embarrass the person, Webster cautioned.
Wrongly posting a picture can also hurt a company's reputation, he added.