Can I get an organisation to take down a photo they have of me?
Even if an organisation isn’t legally required to remove a photo of you, you can still ask them to.
If an organisation uses your photo to promote its services, they need to have complied with Information Privacy Principle (IPP) 3 of the Privacy Act. That means that they asked your permission and told you how they would use it. For example, if you had a photo taken for ‘marketing’ and saw your photo used in marketing then that’s allowed. However, if you allowed your photo to be taken for a work newsletter and now you’re photo is being used for advertising, that’s not okay.
What the law says
IPP3 says that when an organisation collects personal information, it must take reasonable steps to make sure that the person knows:
- why it’s being collected
- who will receive it
- whether giving it is compulsory or voluntary
- what will happen if the information (in this case your photo) isn’t provided.
If they have complied with IPP3 before using your photo, then it’s likely they can lawfully continue to use the photo for that purpose.
If the publication involves incorrect personal information, such as stating that you work somewhere that you don’t, you may be able to request that the information is corrected under IPP 7.
Other resources
- Read children and young people: photography and filming guidance
- Guidance on recording people in public places
- Case study: 329275 [2025] NZ Priv Cmr 2 – Individual complains about use and disclosure of their photo (external link)
- What are the rules around collecting photos or other information of people from their social media profiles? (external link)
- Can news media publish photos of car crash victims? (external link)
- Can an agency make a video or audio recording of me without telling me?(external link)
- Is publishing sports results and photos without consent a breach of the Privacy Act? (external link)
- Can a business use a photo of me in their advertising without my consent? (external link)
- Can I remove my personal information from a website?(external link)
Added December 2025