When someone asks you to remove an event video

Agree who receives a request and who decides before you publish. When a request arrives, you then follow a plan instead of improvising. The right response still depends on the person, the video and the rules that apply to you.

For people who object before or during filming, see handling people who do not want to appear.

What can you control after a video is published?

Less than most people expect.

So say what you will do on the places you control and what you will ask others to do, instead of “it will be gone everywhere”.

How do you set up the workflow?

Do this before the video goes live.

1. Name one contact. A person or a role, with an email address that someone checks.
2. Show where the contact is listed. In the video description or on the event page.
3. Choose who decides. Often the organiser, with a legal, privacy or HR contact for harder cases.
4. Keep the source files. If you may need to edit the video later, agree how long the files are kept. See retention and deletion expectations.
5. Agree the editing route. Who makes a revised version, and how it is requested and approved.

What should you do when a request arrives?

Stay calm and write it down. A short record helps if the matter becomes complicated.

• Acknowledge the request politely and say you are looking into it.
• Record who asked, what they asked for, which video and where it appears.
• Check the reason, whether the person appears in the video and what was agreed with them.
• Decide the response with the right people.
• Reply with what you have done or can do, and the limits.

Here is an illustrative example. A guest sees themselves in a conference highlight film and asks for the clip to be removed. The organiser acknowledges the request, finds the clip and asks the videographer for a version without that segment. The old file is replaced on the organiser’s channels, and the guest is told the new version is live and that copies already downloaded by others are outside the organiser’s reach.

What kinds of requests might come?

• Removal of the whole video.
• A change, such as trimming one segment, blurring a face or fixing a name or caption.
• Music or rights complaints, which may involve platform rules. A music licence does not always stop a takedown while other rights or platform rules are unresolved. See music played at an event and music added to the video.
• Privacy concerns, where a qualified adviser should help.

A caption fix is quick. A rights complaint needs advice before you reply.

What we confirm for your event

• A revised version. We tell you what a trimmed or blurred version needs from the footage, then quote the editing.
• Source files. We agree with you how long the source files and project are kept, so a later change is possible.
• After delivery. We ask who on your side handles requests, and agree the editing route in advance so a change request is no surprise.

Our filming and publication responsibilities checklist helps you record who is responsible for what. The event videography service page explains how scope is agreed, and video ownership, usage rights and raw-file delivery covers who holds which rights.

For a legal question about your event, ask a qualified adviser.