Petition · past parliament
Make taking inappropriate photos of people without consent a criminal offence.
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
Technology has advanced, and the law hasn't caught up. It is incredibly easy for people today to take inappropriate photos of others without consent and go unnoticed.
Criminalising the act will protect individuals from unwanted harassment and prevent the individuals who are doing it.
Criminalising the act will protect individuals from unwanted harassment and prevent the individuals who are doing it.
Today I caught a man taking inappropriate photos of a much younger girl on the London Underground.
I called him out, and told him to delete the photos. He wouldn't do it, so I followed him up to the ticket hall and called the police. When they arrived they let him walk with the inappropriate photos still on his phone as it wasn't a criminal offence, only a 'moral' offence.
The photos appeared to have been taken in a sexual nature, and without any form of consent. This needs to change.
I called him out, and told him to delete the photos. He wouldn't do it, so I followed him up to the ticket hall and called the police. When they arrived they let him walk with the inappropriate photos still on his phone as it wasn't a criminal offence, only a 'moral' offence.
The photos appeared to have been taken in a sexual nature, and without any form of consent. This needs to change.
Why it was rejected
It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.
Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action. Laws about outraging public decency or voyeurism can already be used to prosecute people for taking inappropriate photographs without consent.
You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.
You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.
Timeline
| 6 Jan 2018 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 7 Mar 2018 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
7 Mar 2018
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.