So here’s the deal: as mentioned, personal use of photos, whether kept for private use or shared on social media, is fine – though the usual rules of consent and consideration still apply. However, with the rise of Instagram and Facebook, new aspects to the use of photos taken at AfrikaBurn are worth considering.
For example: can you take photos of people at AfrikaBurn, and use them to promote products such as clothing, costume wear or accessories, by @ and # tagging them on social media platforms?
The short answer: no.
Just like a camping gear or clothing brand, or commercial film shoot of any kind, would never be permitted to come to the event and make use of the art, people and creative contributions as a backdrop or set for their shoot, so the same applies to influencer shoots – or shots shared after the event that seek to draw attention to the products featured in the image or video footage. There may be many other events where this form of promotional use of images is absolutely fine – but AfrikaBurn is not other events: it’s an explicitly decommodified space. In other words, nothing in Tankwa Town is available to be used as a photogenic background for any commercial entity, brand, service or product.
If and when this does happen, our Comms team will step in and request that the content is removed – and anyone leveraging our event or community by using them as a backdrop for a brand photoshoot (on Instagram or anywhere else) can be refused entry at future events.