Sharing suspected thieves on Facebook is almost always illegal, expert says

Businesses and private individuals are generally not allowed to share surveillance images of suspected offenders on Facebook, DR reports. Even blurred faces may not be enough to anonymise the people shown.

Mikkeline Thomsen, a partner at Os og Data who helped map 48,000 Facebook groups across Denmark, says companies and individuals are increasingly posting images of burglaries, thefts and vandalism on social media.

When sharing is allowed

Legal adviser and PhD in data protection Birgitte Kofod Olsen says surveillance footage containing recognisable people is personal data and cannot normally be shared.

Recordings may be shared if the people shown have consented, if another law permits the disclosure, or if the material is handed to police as part of an investigation.

Blurred faces may not be enough

Blurring a person’s face does not necessarily make the footage anonymous. A person could still be identified through their movements or the way they walk, Olsen says.

DR found a Facebook post in which a shop shared surveillance video of a suspected thief. The person’s face was blurred and they were dressed in black, but their hands and skin colour remained visible.

Possible penalties

Sharing the footage unlawfully is a violation of the law and may result in a fine or another penalty if the criminal code is applied, Olsen says.

At Min Købmand in Trustrup, shopkeeper Frederik Schmidt has shared surveillance footage of thefts at the store on Facebook several times.