Consent on camera
Consent on camera is the set of rules that Storytelling and Content, a Logos Circle training course from 2026, gives for filming people in Circle videos. The rules cover what people are told before recording, how their agreement is recorded, how their identity can be protected and what Circle videos leave out. The course applies them to anyone interviewed or shown, in any of the formats described in Circle storytelling.
The basics
The course says that anyone interviewed, and anyone whose name or face appears in a video, agrees to it first. The agreement is given on camera and in the person's own words.
The rules sit close to the privacy rule in the Logos Field Guide. The Field Guide says "No faces, names or unnecessary doxing without consent." Doxing means publishing details that identify a person. The Field Guide also says "Privacy is the default. Always ask people for consent to show their face. If not, blur."
The Circles handbook, which Logos publishes for Circle stewards, sets similar rules for photos and reports. Its Safety Principles say: "Never share personal details, photos, or contact information from the meetup without permission." They ask stewards to ask before taking pictures or recording anything. Its guide to post-event reports says photos of participants have their faces blurred or covered with emojis before sharing, unless the person has given express consent. It asks that public notes use first names or initials rather than full names.
Before recording
The course lists four things a person is told before the camera starts:
- what the video is for and where it will be posted
- that anyone in the movement, and anyone outside it, may see it
- that they can stop at any time
- that once it is online, it cannot be taken back
The person then explains back what they have agreed to, and this is recorded too. A short signed consent form is optional. The course suggests it for Circles that want a written record as well.
The same section of the course covers interview practice, such as asking open questions and leaving silence after each answer. The course introduces the section by noting that much of a Circle story comes from what people say on camera.
Protecting identity
Each person is asked whether they want their identity protected. The course describes three ways to do this. The camera shows only their hands. The camera puts them against the light. Their face is blurred in the edit. The Field Guide names blurring as the fallback when a person does not consent to showing their face.
The course sets a limit. If it is not clear that a person understands what they are agreeing to, they are not filmed.
The course gives safety advice for the people filming. It warns that filming in public, especially around police or officials, can bring trouble. It advises Circles to check the local law on filming, to work in pairs so one person can keep watch, and to send footage to someone they trust before leaving the site.
What is left out
The course's editing section lists what Circle videos leave out.
- Graphic images. Wounds, blood and dead bodies are left out. The course calls such images disrespectful and says they can harm viewers. It argues that a video showing only suffering starts to look like a charity appeal, when the story is about people doing something.
- Faces of people put at risk. Anyone who could be put at risk by being identified does not have their face shown.
- Children without a guardian's agreement. Any child whose parent or guardian has not agreed to them being filmed is left out.
- Anonymous people. The name of anyone who asked to stay anonymous is left out, and their voice too where needed.
- Hard content without warning. If something hard to watch has to stay in, the video warns viewers at the start.
The course asks Circles to keep the focus on what people are doing about the problem. Its checklist for reviewing a finished video includes "no suffering shown for its own sake".
In practice
Circle reports on the Logos Forum and entries in the Parallel Society Playbook show consent questions arising in practice.
- Aba. The Aba Circle held a meeting on tenancy rights in September 2026. Its report says three landlords attended for the first time and "asked that their names and photographs not be shared." The report neither names nor shows them. See Circles/Aba and Playbook/Aba: Bringing landlords and tenants into one room on tenancy rights.
- Ibadan. During street interviews in July 2026, the Ibadan Circle reported that several residents shared their experiences but preferred not to be recorded. See Circles/Ibadan and Circle storytelling.
- Kano. The Kano Circle's entry in the Parallel Society Playbook lists what went wrong in a school hygiene project. It says: "We also hadn't agreed on photography and safeguarding rules with the school in advance." The Circle's lesson was to settle permissions early. See Circles/Kano and Playbook/Kano: Building lasting hygiene habits in schools and orphanages.
See also
Sources
- Storytelling and Content, Logos Circle training course, 2026
- Logos Field Guide, 2026
- Principles for leading effective circles, Logos Circles handbook, read 4 November 2026
- Post-event reporting, Logos Circles handbook, read 4 November 2026
- Logos Circle Aba #4 September Edition, Logos Forum, 4 October 2026
- Logos Circle Ibadan II: Community Voices, Logos Forum, 13 August 2026
- Building lasting hygiene habits in schools and orphanages, Parallel Society Playbook, Logos Circles, read 4 November 2026