Image Rights: An Essential Step Before Publishing Your Photos
August 31st 2026
Content Management – ViGlob 360 You have great photos for your website, and they’re perfect. But before publishing them, there’s one essential question: do you actually have the right to use them? This step is too often overlooked, even though it can have very real consequences for your organization. 3-minute read | 5 points | August 2026
Once you’ve decided which photos to publish, the other half of the work is making sure you have the right to do so. Whether it’s an image found online or a photo taken at your last activity, the same questions come up: who took the photo, who appears in it, and did they give their consent? These details are easy to overlook in the heat of the moment, but they deserve careful attention.
Here are 5 key points to know.
1. An image found online isn’t automatically royalty-free
A photo that appears in a search engine is not necessarily free to use. For example, using a great photo found on a photographer’s Instagram account or on another organization’s website without permission can lead to a takedown request, or even legal fees. Always check the licence before downloading and publishing an image found online.
2. Consent from your members and volunteers is essential
Even a photo taken during your own organization’s activity doesn’t automatically give you the right to publish it. For example, if a volunteer is clearly recognizable in a photo taken at an event and that image ends up on your website or social media without their permission, it may infringe on their image rights.
3. What the law says, in a nutshell
In Quebec, image rights stem from the right to privacy, protected by the Civil Code of Québec and the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. The general rule is simple: if a person is clearly recognizable in a photo, their consent is required before the image is shared publicly.
4. What the law allows at your events
Good news: hosting an event doesn’t mean you need a signed form from every attendee.
A few general principles to keep in mind:
Unrecognizable people or those in the background of a crowd
They can generally be photographed without explicit consent, since they are not the main subject of the image.
Implied consent
If a sign at the entrance of your event clearly states that photos will be taken and may be used for promotional purposes, and people choose to attend, this may be considered implied consent.
Explicit consent
This is best practice whenever a person is identifiable and becomes the main subject of a photo (portrait, close-up, featured in your banner, etc.). A simple form or a checkbox when registering for the activity is often enough.
5. Adopt good practices now
These are only general guidelines; the rules may vary depending on the context (private or public location, minors involved, commercial or editorial use, etc.). This text does not constitute legal advice; if in doubt, consult a resource such as Éducaloi or a legal advisor to validate your practices. The best approach is to address consent right from the planning stage of your activities, rather than as an afterthought.
In Summary
A beautiful photo is worthless if it exposes you to a dispute. Taking a few minutes to clarify the rights, whether for an image found online or a photo of your members, protects both your organization and the people who place their trust in you.
Bonus tip: add a simple photo consent statement to your activity registration forms. It settles the question once and for all, with no extra effort on the day of the event.
Please note: this article provides general advice for informational purposes only and does not replace legal advice. To understand your specific obligations, consult the applicable legislation or a legal advisor.
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August 31st 2026