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A growing concern highlighted by a shop workers’ union revolves around retail employees being recorded by members of the public without their knowledge or consent. This issue came to light after a sales assistant revealed to the BBC that he was featured in a video posted on TikTok and YouTube by former television presenter Michael Barrymore, without obtaining his permission beforehand. Barrymore frequently captures his daily activities, including visits to shops and interactions with the public, through a small camera embedded in his smart glasses, sharing these moments with his millions of followers.
While Barrymore’s particular encounter with the retail worker was described as friendly, Jayne Allport from the union Usdaw pointed out that other recordings involving shop staff can escalate into heated situations and raise serious concerns. Although filming in private retail spaces without permission breaches data protection laws, no criminal offence is suggested in the case of Barrymore or other users of similar smart glasses technology. Barrymore has been approached for comment regarding the matter.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s The Media Show, Allport emphasized that some retail workers might have deeply personal reasons to worry about their workplace or location being publicly exposed. She noted, “They could be filming someone who has escaped an abusive relationship or violent past and they don’t want anybody to know where they are.” Since shops are private properties, filming should only take place with the owner’s approval. Staff members are generally expected to have a reasonable expectation of privacy at work, meaning their consent should be sought before any footage or photos of them are disseminated. However, many individuals who record these interactions on platforms like TikTok seem unaware of these legal boundaries.
Michael Barrymore, who gained fame during the 1980s and 1990s as a successful TV host, is now particularly known among younger audiences for his humorous and engaging social media videos. These often depict everyday scenarios, such as shopping trips or dining out, which have proven very popular. Yet, following a visit to a store in England, one anonymous sales assistant expressed unease about appearing on one of these clips. He recounted that he only discovered he had been filmed after a customer recognized him from the video and mentioned it. Upon checking social media later, he found himself clearly identifiable in the footage and noted that no one had asked for his permission to be featured
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