ECtHR rules on police video publication rights

In the case of Bild GmbH & Co. KG v. Germany, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has addressed a legal dispute concerning the publication of CCTV footage of a police arrest by a German news company, Bild GmbH & Co. KG. The central issue was whether the company had the right to publish unedited video footage of the arrest without blurring the face of one of the police officers involved. The case raised important questions about the balance between freedom of expression (Article 10 of the Convention) and the protection of private life (Article 8 of the Convention).

The applicant company, Bild GmbH & Co. KG, owned a news website, bild.de, and published CCTV footage showing a police arrest, including one officer's