At our October and November 2015 meetings, we agreed on the following policies for protecting the privacy of third parties depicted in photographs and/or referenced in other media:
- PUBLIC vs. PRIVATE: If a photograph or other media depicts or represents individuals in a public setting—either outdoors or at an open-to-the-public indoor event—we will publish the item. If the photograph is of a private event or in an indoor, private setting, we will only publish the item with the consent of all parties depicted or represented in the item.
- REVIEW ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS: If and when we receive items containing “private” depictions or representations of third parties, we will bring these to our monthly History Project meetings for review on a case-by-case basis.
- RECEIVING CONSENT: The standard policy for receiving consent from third parties will be:
- History Project members will ask the donor for the contact information for those individuals depicted/represented in the photograph or other media. If the donor is unable to give such information, History Project members will attempt to identify and contact the individuals in question.
- We will ask third parties for written consent to publish the item(s) in question.
- In the case of deceased persons, we will attempt to contact family members and receive their written consent to publish the item(s) in question.
- PUBLISHING ITEMS: If we are unable to receive consent from third parties, we may elect to publish an item and blur individuals’ faces. We also reserve the right to refuse to publish any such item. This decision will be made on a case-by-case basis at monthly History Project meetings.
- REMOVING ITEMS: If any individual depicted in a “private” setting in a photograph or other media requests that it be taken down from the Digital Archive, we will immediately comply with the request.
- REVIEW OF THIS POLICY: The History Project may review and may choose to amend this policy at any monthly meeting. We will update this website accordingly!