New NPC guidelines for Vloggers, require proper privacy notices and masking of identities in public videos, posing potential criminal charges or penalties.
The National Privacy Commission (NPC) has issued new guidelines, effective June 2025, for the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) and alternative recording devices (ARDs) by various entities, including law enforcement agencies, private security companies, and, significantly, vloggers and YouTubers.
These guidelines, outlined in NPC Circular No. 2025-01, establish strict protocols for the collection, processing, and storage of personal data captured by these devices. While purely personal or household use is generally exempt, this exemption is void if footage is shared online or used commercially.
All personal information controllers and processors using BWCs or ARDs must provide clear privacy notices (both physical and digital). The processing of personal data must have a lawful basis, serve declared specific purposes (e.g., law enforcement, public safety), and be proportional, avoiding excessive data collection.
For vloggers and YouTubers, a crucial requirement is to provide privacy notices and mask the identities of bystanders, especially children and vulnerable individuals, when publishing footage that captures others.
This means that if a vlogger or YouTuber is recording in a public or semi-public space where they might capture other individuals, they need to inform those individuals that the recording is taking place and how their data might be used. This could involve visible signs, verbal announcements, or even on-screen disclaimers in their videos. The goal is transparency—people should know they are being recorded.
Masking identities means making individuals unidentifiable. This commonly involves blurring faces but could also extend to blurring other identifying features like unique tattoos or license plates.
For content where individuals are directly engaged (like a street interview), the vlogger should ideally get explicit consent from the person to be filmed and have their identity shown. This is the most straightforward way to ensure compliance.
If permission isn't obtained, or for incidental bystanders in the background of footage (like in a prank video where people are reacting), the vlogger is legally obligated to edit the video after recording to obscure the faces of those individuals before publishing.
Individuals whose data is captured have the right to be informed, access footage, and request erasure, with some limitations. Agencies must mask unrelated individuals in released footage and provide explanations for any denied access requests.
Violations of these guidelines can lead to criminal, civil, and administrative penalties under the Data Privacy Act. Agencies have 60 days to comply, and the NPC will regularly review the guidelines to adapt to technological and privacy advancements.
About the Writer
Jenny, the tech wiz behind Jenny's Online Blog, loves diving deep into the latest technology trends, uncovering hidden gems in the gaming world, and analyzing the newest movies. When she's not glued to her screen, you might find her tinkering with gadgets or obsessing over the latest sci-fi release.What do you think of this blog? Write down at the COMMENT section below.
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