When is it okay to share footage of children at risk?
So here’s a curious thing.
Back at the end of last year, a Queenslander allegedly shared on video sharing site Liveleak, footage of a man swinging a child around in what critics believed to be a dangerous fashion. The man – who had no involvement in the Russian video beyond its reposting – was charged by Queensland Police, reported smh.com.au at the time on the grounds that he had shared footage of child abuse.
Meanwhile, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph site is currently sharing what it describes as “horrific” video footage of terrified babies being thrown off a building.
Still, there is one difference between the two incidents. The Tele’s footage is preceded by a pre-roll ad.
(Spotter: Adam Paull)
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So when the the Tele’s editor be charged ?
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It was pretty outrageous that the guy in Qld was charged – who knew that simply reposting something like that was a crime?
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You could see it as double standards.
Or as an opportunity for the paradox and mis-guided nature of the prosecution to be exposed.
Reposting the footage is not clearly a crime as yet – he hasn’t been convicted.
The whole sorry episode highlight’s an inability in some areas to focus on making a difference, as opposed to making a noise. The proposed Internet filter sits in this same category.
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@AdGrunt – that was my feeling exactly. The poor bloke in Qld has been forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars and has had his life turned upside down by someone or some government agency with an axe to grind or budget to justify.
The fact that media outlets do the same thing without prosecution highlights the hypocrisy of those pursuing the matter.
If the Qld chap gets jail time then the host of “Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show” should get the chair!
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