A Question of Ethics

My first thoughts when reading about this week’s tasks was the ethics behind taking and publishing video and photographs of other people. Schools are required to gain parental permission before taking and publishing photographs of students. Should everyone be required to gain an individuals permission before taking a picture? The whole tabloid business is built upon the principle of candid photos but I’m not sure if it is ethical. When cameras were first combined with mobile phones there were a number of articles in the newspapers about inappropriate uses of the device. It is too easy to take a picture or video without the person suspecting. In class I have had students take pictures of me on their mobile phones, they deleted the images upon request but it made me feel uneasy. This issue seems to be of greater concern due to the ability to publish them on the internet. In the end I feel it comes down more to a question of manners then ethics. Its good manners to ask permission before taking a photograph or video, in turn if you agree then you are also agreeing to the image being published in a respectful manner. What do you think?