In the UK, copyright law protects the creators of original works, including photographs. The copyright owner has the exclusive right to control how their work is used, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the work.
When it comes to using photos on social media, you should first determine who owns the copyright to the photo. If you took the photo yourself, you own the copyright and can use it on social media as you please. However, if someone else took the photo, they own the copyright and you may need their permission to use the photo on social media.
There are some exceptions to this rule, such as fair use and fair dealing. These are legal concepts that allow for limited use of copyrighted material without permission in certain circumstances, such as for criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. However, the specific circumstances of each case will determine whether the use is permitted or not.
In addition to copyright law, you should also consider other laws and policies that may apply to the use of photos on social media, such as privacy and data protection laws, terms of service of social media platforms, and community guidelines. It’s always best to err on the side of caution and obtain permission before using someone else’s photo on social media.
Stock photos
At UNISON we use Canva which has a wide selection of stock photography and video. There is one login per region, or you can use the free version by just signing in. Design team subscribe to Big Stock Photo
There are various places to find Royalty free stock photos. Some have a small charge, per photo, some a small monthly charge, these are free:
- Pixabay
- Unsplash
- Pexels
Inclusive collections
- https://affecttheverb.com/collection/
- https://www.blackillustrations.com/ Some are free. Others are reasonably priced.
- https://ageing-better.org.uk/news/age-positive-image-library-launched