Am I allowed to publish screenshots of chats on my blog?
June 30, 2022 | 40,00 EUR | answered by Edith Fischer
Dear Media Law Attorney,
My name is Ulrike Walter and I operate a blog where I write about various topics from my daily life. Often, chats with friends or acquaintances come up, and I would like to publish them as examples in my blog posts. Now, the question arises whether I am legally allowed to publish screenshots of chats.
Regarding the situation: The chats consist of personal conversations and opinions that could be of interest to my readers. However, I am unsure whether I need to obtain permission from the chat partners before publishing the screenshots. I also wonder if there could be legal consequences if the chat partners do not agree to the publication.
My concerns are that I do not want to provoke any legal action from my chat partners and I want to continue operating my blog legally. At the same time, I want to be transparent and authentic about my experiences, which could be supported by using chat screenshots.
Therefore, my specific question to you as an expert in media law is: Am I allowed to publish screenshots of chats in my blog without needing the explicit consent of the chat partners? If not, are there alternative ways to report on my chats without violating media law?
Thank you in advance for your legal assessment and possible solutions.
Sincerely,
Ulrike Walter
Dear Ms. Walter,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the publication of screenshots of chats on your blog. As a media law attorney, I can understand your concerns and will be happy to provide you with a detailed answer to your question.
In general, the publication of screenshots of chats on your blog can be legally problematic, especially when it involves personal conversations and opinions. The right to one's own image and the right to one's own words play a crucial role in this context.
The right to one's own image protects the personal rights of a person and states that no pictures or videos of a person can be published without their consent. The right to one's own words, on the other hand, protects the statements and opinions of a person that cannot be published without their consent.
Therefore, if you wish to publish screenshots of chats that contain personal conversations and opinions of your chat partners, you should generally obtain the express consent of the chat partners to avoid legal consequences. Without such consent, you could violate the right to one's own image and words.
However, there are alternative ways to report on your chats without publishing screenshots. For example, you could paraphrase the contents of the chats in your own words without using direct quotes or screenshots. This way, you can still convey the content of the chats authentically without violating media law.
Overall, I recommend obtaining the consent of your chat partners before publishing screenshots of chats on your blog. Alternatively, you can report on the chats in a different way to avoid legal consequences while still remaining transparent and authentic.
I hope this legal assessment and possible solutions help you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Edith Fischer, Media Law Attorney
