Ylöjärvi church ends online broadcasts of services over privacy and cost concerns

The Ylöjärvi parish in Finland has discontinued live-streaming church services, citing privacy issues, rising costs, and new EU accessibility requirements, Yle reports.

The decision follows feedback from congregants who expressed discomfort at being visible on camera during communion or while seated in the front rows. “People were anxious about being filmed when receiving communion or sitting in the front pews,” said parish rector Ulla Ruusukallio.

The parish had begun streaming services during the coronavirus pandemic but found that few viewers watched entire broadcasts. Ruusukallio noted that only “a handful” of people followed services from start to finish online.

Financial pressures also contributed to the decision. Upgrading outdated equipment would have cost tens of thousands of euros, while new copyright fees for music used in services will shift from the national church administration to individual parishes in spring 2025. “We must pay for all Teosto-licensed music used or heard online,” Ruusukallio explained.

An additional challenge was the EU Accessibility Directive, which requires subtitling all recorded speech and music within two weeks—a task the parish lacks resources to fulfill, even with AI-assisted tools.

While the change has drawn mixed reactions on social media, the parish emphasizes that alternatives exist for those unable to attend in person. Home visits, including bedside services for the ill or housebound, will continue. “We adapt our operations to available resources and current needs,” Ruusukallio said, leaving open the possibility of revisiting the decision later.