An Instagram account posting thousands of photos of pregnant women—many from Singapore—is making rounds on social media and is causing alarms in mummy groups online, theAsianparent has learned.
As of publication, the account has more than 5,600 posts and is followed by over 5,200 users.
Voyeur Instagram account?
The account, which uses the handle @roseline0621, contains the description "Snap Shot Pregnant Street Style."
Based on the account's activities, the earliest post dated back to over two years ago, with the first photo posted on December 21, 2018. Some of the photos appear to have been taken in other countries too, including Malaysia, South Korea and China.
But what theAsianparent readers found concerning was how the account appears to have been created for voyeurism as the photos seem to have been taken discretely or without the women's consent.
Facebook page BY Young Mothers of Singapore raised the same concern in a post which has been shared almost 200 times. The post the mummy group is encouraging users to report the Instagram account to the platform in hopes to get it taken down. It is noted that it is yet to be confirmed if the photos were indeed taken without permission.
While the identity of who is behind the account remains unknown, many eagle-eyed netizens have spotted in a number of photos what appears to be a reflection of a man taking the photos.
'Victim' speaks up
Meanwhile, Facebook page Storience posted what appears to be an open-letter of a woman who claims to be one of the Instagram account's "victims."
The post reads: "To the owner of Instagram account roseline0621: Firstly, I don't know who you are, but I assume you must be some sick perverted deprived human being to have such fetish for preggies.(sic)"
"I imagine you print all the photos out and paste on your bedroom wall at night, saliva drooling all over. Sick worm (sic)"
What To Do If Someone Takes My Photo in Public and Posts It?
The line between steet photography and voyourism may not be clear to many, but in cases where you see your photos taken and posted online without your consent, there are steps you can take.
Accoring to Singapore Legal Advice, your first line of action is to take a copy of the publication if the photo was published in a physical medium, or take a screenshot if posted online, and then identify who took and uploaded your photo.
"Once you do so, you can message the other party and request for them to remove the photo. If the other party fails to comply, report their account and the post with your photo," said Singapore Legal Advice.
It added, however, that in some serious cases, publishing a photo of someone without their consent can be considered as an act of harassment or defamation if certain conditions are met.
"For example, if the other party published your photo with “threatening, abusive or insulting words” that led to you feeling alarmed or distressed, it would count as harassment. If such harassment continues for an extended period, consider applying to the District Court for a protection order."
View this post on Instagram
Your first line of action should be to screenshot the webpage on which your photo appeared as evidence, and to identify who took and uploaded your photo. ?? Once you do so, you can message the other party and request for them to remove the photo. If the other party fails to comply, report their account and the post with your photo. ? - In more serious cases, publishing a photo of someone without their permission can be considered as an act of harassment or defamation if certain conditions are met. ? For example, if the other party published your photo with “threatening, abusive or insulting words” that led to you feeling alarmed or distressed, it would count as harassment. If such harassment continues for an extended period, consider applying to the District Court for a protection order. ⚖ - With Anime Festival Asia (AFA) happening at Suntec this weekend, there’s bound to be tons of cosplayers around the area! Make sure to ask for permission before taking photos of them, no matter how good their cosplay looks, or how busy they may seem. ?? #SingaporeLegalAdvice
A post shared by SingaporeLegalAdvice.com (@singaporelegaladvice) on
ALSO READ: Baby Bump Predators: Be Careful What You Share Online, Mums-to-be!
