Do You Need to Secure Photo Consent from Attendees During Your Event Planning Phase?

The answer is yes. As an event panning app, we take privacy of our clients and attendees very seriously and we can already give some answers on your questions. This article can be a bit technical, however if we talk about the GDPR it can’t be in a different way. In this article we will give you some practical tips how you should receive attendees’ consent on taking photos of them during event you are planning and when is the correct time of doing it.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a comprehensive data protection framework designed to protect the privacy and personal data of EU citizens. Event organisers, including those using EventApper, must comply with GDPR when handling personal data during company gatherings. Here are some key considerations for ensuring GDPR compliance when using photos during your event:

1. Obtain Consent: Before taking photographs or videos of attendees, ensure that you have obtained their explicit consent. This can be done by including a photography consent clause in your pre-event survey form. Therefore, we recommend our clients to include this question when they send pre-event survey. If the answer is positive – organisers are free to make photos, if the answer is no – organisers can download a list of the attendees who don’t want to be photographed and prepare special badges or lanyards for them. Don’t forget to inform photographers not to make photos of those people wearing them. Or another option is to set up a designated photo consent area at the event venue which attendees can visit. The second option is less popular during event planning.
2. Inform Attendees: Clearly inform attendees about the purposes for which their personal data, including photographs and app usage data, will be used. This information should be provided in an easily accessible format, such as a privacy notice on the event website or within the event planning app. Attendees have the right to access, rectify, erase, or restrict the processing of their personal data. Make sure you have a process in place to handle these requests in a timely manner, as required by GDPR.
3. Limit Data Collection: Only collect personal data that is necessary for the specified purposes, and avoid collecting excessive amounts of information. For instance, do not capture unnecessary personal details when taking photos or using the app.
4. Data Retention: Establish a clear data retention policy and only store personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the specified purposes. Once the data is no longer needed, securely delete or anonymise it to protect attendees’ privacy.
5. Third-Party Vendors: If you are using third-party vendors, such as photographers or app developers, ensure that they are also GDPR compliant. Include GDPR-compliant clauses in your contracts with these vendors and monitor their adherence to data protection requirements.

By adhering to GDPR rules during event planning, you can ensure that your event is both enjoyable and respectful of attendees’ privacy. Therefore, we recommend using modern event planning app which can help you collecting attendees’ consents to be photographed. This not only helps you stay compliant with the law but also fosters trust between your organisation and its attendees, enhancing the overall event experience.