Should photography and filming at public swimming pools be allowed?

In some countries like Germany, camera bans are common at public swimming pools, while they are less common in other regions like the United States. Some pools have no absolute camera ban but only a partial ban rule that says "make sure no strangers appear on your pictures", which would still allow filming in isolated places like inside a water slide.

This wikidebate explores reasons for and against camera bans at swimming pools.

Photography and filming at public swimming pools should be allowed.

Arguments for

• ⟬⟬⟭: Photography and filming allows people to preserve their life memories. For example, people might want to film each other jumping from a spring board in slow motion.
• ⟬⟬⟭: Sometimes, people from news outlets take pictures and videos with the permission of the pool management. Those pictures and videos are seen by a high number of people if they appear in the news without causing any harm. Personal pictures and videos taken by people are seen by far fewer people.
• ⟬⟬⟭: Photography and filming in public places preserves the cultural record.

Arguments against

• ⟬⟬⟭: Some people might feel ashamed if they appear on other peoples' pictures in bathing clothes, where more of their bodies are exposed than usual. For example, people might feel unhappy with their looks.
  • ⟬⟬⟭: People visiting public places should expect appearing on pictures.
  • ⟬⟬⟭: The risk that the pictures will harm them is infinitesimally low, given that the pictures do not contain personally identifiable information like the name and address of the people seen on it, so the pictures couldn't be linked to their real-life identities except by the small number of people who already know them.
  • ⟬⟬⟭ There are hundreds of thousands of pictures of public beaches on the Internet, some of which are several decades old. The people who appeared on those pictures in bathing clothes have almost certainly not been harmed by it.
  • ⟬⟬⟭: Instead of completely outruling photography and filming, a possible alternative would be allowing it within limited time windows. This way, people who don't want to appear on others' pictures can leave the pool for that time window.
  • ⟬⟬⟭: There is the option to wear a full-body swimsuit.
• ⟬⟬⟭: Swimming pools are also a popular destination for couples, who might be seen hugging or kissing each other.
  • ⟬⟬⟭: No one who sees these pictures is going to think negatively about the people seen on the pictures, given that kissing couples at pools are nothing out of the ordinary and don't hurt anyone.