In recent years, the widespread use of smartphones has made video capturing in public spaces common and effortless.
While technology has brought many benefits, it has also introduced serious ethical and legal concerns, particularly when videos are taken without the consent of the individuals involved.
Recording people without their permission, especially for ridicule, fame, or social media entertainment, is a growing practice that undermines human dignity and confidentiality. From a comparative perspective, several countries have adopted stringent approaches to unauthorised video recording. In North Korea, unauthorised recording is strictly prohibited and severely sanctioned.
Rwanda enforces robust data protection and privacy legislation that criminalises the recording and dissemination of personal images without consent where dignity is compromised.
Additionally, in Burkina Faso, cybercrime and public order laws caution against the circulation of humiliating or destabilising visual content. Although these national contexts differ in governance and motivation, they collectively affirm a global recognition that uncontrolled video capturing constitutes a serious ethical and legal violation. The Namibian Constitution strongly upholds the protection of human rights. Article 8 guarantees respect for human dignity, stating that no person shall be subjected to degrading treatment.
When individuals are secretly filmed and mocked online, their dignity is violated.
Furthermore, Article 13 of the Constitution protects the right to privacy, emphasising that a person’s private life, home, and communications should not be interfered with arbitrarily.
Even in public spaces, individuals retain the right not to be exploited, humiliated, or unfairly exposed.
Beyond the Constitution, ethical principles of human confidentiality demand respect, consent, and responsibility. Filming someone during moments of vulnerability, such as accidents, emotional distress, or personal conflict and sharing such content for entertainment is morally indefensible and socially destructive.
The pursuit of online fame should never occur at the expense of another person’s rights, safety, and psychological wellbeing.
Importantly, Namibian citizens have the right to report such violations. If a video is taken or shared without consent in a manner that harms dignity or privacy, the matter can be reported to the police.
The law exists, such as The Combating of Domestic Violence Act, 4 of 2003, to protect individuals, and silence only normalises abuse.
As a society, vigilance is essential. Be aware of your surroundings and attentive to what is happening around you.
Respect others, question unethical behaviour, and protect your own rights and those of others. Human dignity must always come before digital popularity.
On a different note, doing what is right remains the most effective way to prevent such violations.
*Balasius Shikongo is an academician and the views expressed here are his own.