‘Auditors’

All people need to do is ignore them and mind their own business.

Like it or not, what the auditors are doing is entirely within the law. I actually appreciate them teaching a few lessons on things like drone flying and photography in public areas.

Like it or not, what the auditors are doing is entirely within the law

Sure, but that’s not the point of the YouTube output though is it? The point is to wind people up for clicks.

Anyone who is wound up by people taking pictures in public must find it very difficult to walk down the high street of their local town, liberally festooned as it is with CCTV cameras.

Sure, but that’s not the point of the YouTube output though is it? The point is to wind people up for clicks.

They don’t need to wind up most of the people (‘security’) they interact with though, they come marching over and instruct these auditors to stop filming or bring their drone down without knowledge of the law. If documenting some of the terrible attitudes from security/company employees makes them a few quid from YT ads then fair enough.

There are videos where security/employees interact positively, understand the law (or are open to understanding the detail) and the subsequent reputation of the company is enhanced. That’s the way I see it anyway.

Like it or not, what the auditors are doing is entirely within the law.

That may be the case, but every video I’ve seen, they break rule number 1. They deliberately wind up those they interact with looking for controversy.

Anyone who is wound up by people taking pictures in public must find it very difficult to walk down the high street of their local town, liberally festooned as it is with CCTV cameras.

Not even comparable. I am certainly no expert, but the council will not be broadcasting the video they capture. They will have guidelines in place about the use of the video, how it is stored and used, will comply with GDPR etc.

YouTube is unregulated and people are using this vids to make money simple as.

That may be the case, but every video I’ve seen, they break rule number 1. They deliberately wind up those they interact with looking for controversy.

Let’s not forget there are many ‘auditors’ with varying approaches. On the flip side to your experience, most videos I’ve watched starts out with the auditor – a member of the public – being treated unfairly/disrespectfully by security or a company employee. In the rare cases they’re treated as people would like to be treated themselves, the interaction doesn’t descend into a wind up.

They will have guidelines in place about the use of the video, how it is stored and used, will comply with GDPR etc.

YouTube is unregulated and people are using this vids to make money simple as.

Unregulated? What needs regulating in this context? People are doing lawful activities.

 In the rare cases they’re treated as people would like to be treated themselves, the interaction doesn’t descend into a wind up.

I will bet a shiny new 50p that the share and likes for those are not nearly the same for more “robust” interactions. They know what they’re doing and they do it on purpose. Winding up some dude on a minimum wages for clicks/likes is a shitty way to treat people and earn a buck, and you can dress it up anyway you want, but that’s what everybody knows is going on.

On the flip side to your experience, most videos I’ve watched starts out with the auditor – a member of the public – being treated unfairly/disrespectfully by security or a company employee.

No doubt because more often the “auditor” has been a pain in the backside before their video edit starts, their raison d’etre is to get a rise from whoever/whatever they are videoing to get more hits on YouTube so not exactly an innocent starting point is it?

I will bet a shiny new 50p that the share and likes for those are not nearly the same for more “robust” interactions. They know what they’re doing and they do it on purpose. Winding up some dude on a minimum wages for clicks/likes is a shitty way to treat people and earn a buck, and you can dress it up anyway you want, but that’s what everybody knows is going on.

Oh filming how people react to their lawful activities is certainly done on purpose. And the videos I’ve watched, the auditor often explains to people that they’re making money from the YT ads.

The point is that if people didn’t approach these auditors with an aggressive and ill-informed attitude, there wouldn’t be the argumentative content (which goes both ways). Ignore the member of the public doing a lawful activity, instead of thinking you’re the law, and there isn’t an issue. It goes both ways.

No doubt because more often the “auditor” has been a pain in the backside before their video edit starts, their raison d’etre is to get a rise from whoever/whatever they are videoing to get more hits on YouTube so not exactly an innocent starting point is it?

You’re suggesting that pre-video scenario to bolster your viewpoint though. You have no idea whether that happens or not.

Edit – and as I’ve previously said, they don’t need to be a pain in the backside to kick things off – it’s the ill-informed security/employee who approaches someone filming ordering them in a sh1tty way to stop filming. Know the law, simple.

“Personal space.”

 Ignore the member of the public doing a lawful activity

But we all know that they’re only there to get a rise out of the security/employee. That’s it, there’s zero other reason for the auditor to stand outside a premises whether it’s legal or not. If the auditor doesn’t show up, nothing will happen.

It goes both ways.

Nope, one side of the interaction knows why they are there and what they want, and will deliberately set out to try to get that.

what the auditors are doing is entirely within the law.

One of the ones I saw a bit of was clearly acting outside the law ( too close to buildings and people, drone not in line of sight)and indeed many of them could be done for harassment or breach of the peace?

Ive seen drone footage shot from just outside my 4th floor windows.  If I see the drone it is getting knocked out of the air.

most videos I’ve watched starts out with the auditor – a member of the public – being treated unfairly/disrespectfully by security or a company employee.

You must be watching different videos then. Most that I have seen show measured responses from companies whilst being baited by a self righteous bellend who wants to get a reaction.

Unregulated? What needs regulating in this context? People are doing lawful activities.

ofcom regulate all British broadcasting companies and provide a framework which they have to work within.

These idiots on YT are doing what the hell they like with not regulation or framework.

That vid linked above is awful. low life scum trying to make money out of ruining peoples day who play by the rules of being respectable normal people. Its shameful, and also shameful of the type of people who watch that crap

A weird way to live your life… clicked on the 3 dots on YT to stop suggesting that kinda bollocks to me and carried on watching pandas falling out of trees…

Another victim of Big Panda brainwashing.

Damn you poopscoop, my incredulous curiosity kept me watching that for longer than I should & that I guess is part of the problem ☹️

There’s simply nothing to react to if you aren’t an officious jobsworth. What on earth was the security guard trying to do in that video? I didn’t watch much but the first few mins was him marching up persistently and aggressively to someone backing away on what looked like a public road. I accept that there may have been a prior altercation not shown.

There’s simply nothing to react to if you aren’t an officious jobsworth. What on earth was the security guard trying to do in that video? I didn’t watch much but the first few mins was him marching up persistently and aggressively to someone backing away on what looked like a public road. I accept that there may have been a prior altercation not shown.

A bloke walks up to your business in a Balaclava, walks on to your private property, asks what you have inside, provokes you, is rude and quick frankly a dick head, and you wonder why the guy doesnt react too great?? They pushed him purposely to breaking.

Lets take this to the extreme. What the manager should have done is called the cops. Cops come out an arrest the YT guys for trespassing. No harm done, except some baby robin dies some where because the Police couldnt get there, and lots of public money has been wasted, all because some low lifes wouldn’t get a proper job and thought it better to make money out of exploiting people.

What on earth was the security guard trying to do in that video?

From what I could see the employee was trying to get someone to move outside the curtiledge of the site but they were not responding to his repeated reasonable requests to do so, other than to say “yes we will leave” and then continuing to stand there. The banality of the rest of it was mind numbing “ooh that sign looks new”, “ooh look at these high kerbs”, “perhaps they’ve got some wood in there”. I guess everyone’s got to have a hobby…

@thecaptain – you turn up at home from a day at work and there’s a guy walking up and down outside your house filming it, he films you pulling on to your driveway and going into your house. You go upstairs to get changed, come back down, look out the window and he’s still walking up and down filming. Your wife comes home and he films her……would you not be in the least bit inquisitive as to what he is doing and would you not like to ask him what he is doing? Or would you be completely comfortable with that?

most videos I’ve watched starts out with the auditor – a member of the public – being treated unfairly/disrespectfully by security or a company employee

The key bit there is “starts out with…”

The edited bit the auditor may start with on YouTube may not be in context.

One of the issues is if your at work your employer had a legal right to keep staff safe.

People filming and interacting with staff in a non pleasant way = staffing nightmare for said company that guy I encountered was trying to film our staff badges with employee bar codes ect asking our names Incase it “ends up in court mate”

All for absolutely nothing like I typed above stopping me doing a dull job by a very dull person (me).

Although I got free lunch from the canteen nextdoor so win win

There are better ways to be productive than filming random units

One of the ones I saw a bit of was clearly acting outside the law ( too close to buildings and people, drone not in line of sight)and indeed many of them could be done for harassment or breach of the peace?

Fair enough. On the other hand most videos I watch the drone pilots are aware of the restrictions based on the weight of drone, airspace etc. and fly within the rules, from a public space. It’s the jobsworths that come steaming out starting off with ‘you can’t do that!’. Much as some here would like to ignore the fact, it *does* go both ways. The auditors are not forcing some of these people to approach aggressively and act ridiculously.

It’s not that different from being shouted at/accused of doing something wrong/not paying road tax, for simply riding my bike on the road. You get frothing ill-educated people in all walks of life. In fact, I might start documenting these interactions and put them on YT. Or would I also be in the wrong for encouraging the argument?

I might start documenting these interactions and put them on YT. Or would I also be in the wrong for encouraging the argument?

To be fair, you sound like the kind of person that already does

These idiots on YT are doing what the hell they like with not regulation or framework.

Again, we’re probably referencing completely different people. The videos I watch, have someone flying drones from a public area, in accordance with the law. Some Security people don’t like it and call the Police. The Police then tell Security what’s permitted within the law and that they haven’t got a valid complaint. The Police leave.

If Security understood the law in the first place, the Police wouldn’t be called and their time wouldn’t be wasted.

As for posting the videos on YT, isn’t that allowed?

I’m not sure I follow the ‘doing what the hell they like with no regulation or framework’ angle.

, I might start documenting these interactions and put them on YT.

Missed your chance, that market’s been filled with many many cyclists who film their many (mostly antagonistic) encounters with other road users already, they seem to have them on a daily basis that I’d  have maybe once or twice every year. It’s almost like they go looking for them for them clicks…

To be fair, you sound like the kind of person that already does

I imagine your comment is intended to be derogatory? If so, no need for that. I’m simply pointing out how I see things from the videos I’ve seen.

These people are tools. The way DJ audits pushed the manager for walking up to him when he spends his spare time harassing others is just mad.

DJ is called Nigel dicks and runs his own business on an industrial estate selling ac adaptors. All common knowledge. He also doesn’t like being “audited”. Obviously.

I guess YouTube makes him money.

I found this phenomenon on YT the other week. I can’t quite get it – it seemed to me to be people going around filming mundane stuff with the angle of “I can be anywhere and film anything I want” and be basically enticing conflict. I can’t believe the fella in the few I watched didn’t get sparked out.

Before “Auditors” there were “Helmet-Cammers” a good chunk of which seemed to thrive on YT by seeking confrontation while doing something legal, eventually YT reaches saturation point and people stop watching.

I think the whole Auditor thing crosses over with the whole ‘Sovereign Citizen’ Anti-vax/environmentalism/woke/etc/etc conspiracist grifters. People looking to create “controversy” and gain an income from monetising videos about very little.
The jackpot is when they manage to be objectively unpleasant while technically remaining just the right side of legal, and making some poor sod look/behave poorly.

File them under “Repeated breakers of Rule 1” and see how the Cleansing fire of the Al-Gore-Rhythm treats them once the next Alt-Right nutbar fad sweeps in…

Lots of Rule#1 breaking on both sides here. I suspect a strong correlation between YouTube clicks and flouting of ‘#1’.

Not sure if I prefer stronger alignment with ‘the law’ or ‘#1’. In an ideal world the latter but I’m increasingly aware that the world is full of selfish and entitled ****.

@lamp I do get people stopping outside, gawping at and photographing my home quite a lot actually, I sometimes go and say hello and tell them a little of its history. Never occurred to me that I should go and “challenge” them about it. What am I supposed to be bothered about exactly?

The guy who actually parked on the driveway and started unloading his car (staying at nearby Airbnb), I was a little less polite towards.

Of course filming into the windows of a private house is actually an offence (at least potentially), if I thought someone was using a telephoto aimed at the bedroom I would probably be less amenable.

People looking to create “controversy” and gain an income from monetising videos about very little

I don’t think I would make these videos for the money – YouTube doesn’t pay that much. They’re just obsessives and nobbers for the most part, aren’t they?

Could you carry out a citizens arrest on these people?

Could you carry out a citizens arrest on these people?

I imagine you can carry out a citizen’s arrest on anyone who is committing an offence?

LOL yeah assault and false imprisonment always looks good on a security guard’s CV.

As drone pilot – who films proper organised material with a full license, and tries to improve my skills etc – I think these guys who like testing drone rules on unsuspecting workers and security guards are wasting everyone’s time.

They have small sub 250g drones , don’t need much in the way of formal qualifications and insurance – but like to exploit the fringes of CAA regs and ignorance of the general population.

It’s a total waste of time where no one gains. Their footage looks rubbish and often the police are called who don’t always no the rules either.

Maybe go and get a job where you’re commissioned if you want a challenge?

And actually they may be doing things legally but they’re not always flying safely.

I imagine you can carry out a citizen’s arrest on anyone who is committing an offence?

Not for a minor offence and not if a police officer can deal with it. Somebody being a minor nuisance is not grounds for trying to make a citizen’s arrest.