Turning your life into a reality show, streamlined around the rock is a laudable idea that can earn you good sums of money.
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Theoretically, you can livestream your life 24/7, but whether or not you can make a legal job depends on various national laws and legal guidelines. In this write-up, you will discover the legal ins and outs of livestreams, factors that determine charges for livestreams, and more.
Livestream as a lifelong career
Live streaming has been in the system for many years now. In modern times, you can stream everything from daily activities, city tours, to music and games. Thanks to the involvement of technology, a lot of video sharing platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, and others permit live streaming.
Various streaming platforms have transformed how individuals share their live stories, experiences, and talents with audiences worldwide.
For starters, live streaming is basically broadcasting video and audio on the go. Meaning you can own a channel and just go live anytime it pleases you.
Streamers earn massively in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, China, South Korea, and many others.
With the rise of new technology and streaming platforms, certain legal cautions are in place to monitor specific behaviors and livestreams.
Live streams can be done literally everywhere and by anyone, especially with the use of a smartphone. Hence, the need for legal restrictions and concerns.
Live streams for commercial uses come with legal ethics and concerns. Also, legal concerns must be considered even in cases of personal use.
Is live streaming legal?
Livestreaming is recognised as digital labour in most parts of the world. Whether live streaming is legal or not depends on the location and the type of broadcast.
For instance, in China, livestreaming is a legitimate industry. Live streamer undergoes real-name registration and must follow content moderation requirements.
Income generated from livestreams is treated as taxable self-employment income under the IRS system.
Can you charge people for watching your life?
Charging people for streaming your life is legally possible in some jurisdictions.
Livestreaming can be categorised under freedom of expression in some countries; however, some legal requirements must be met.
Livestreams are subject to various legal concerns, such as privacy, taxation, labour, and platform policies. 24/7 livestream basically means a camera is on every moment of your life. Capturing every moment of your life not only exposes your private moments but also the people close to you.
Global legal pitfalls and considerations
Livestreaming your own life within your own property has no legal consequences. However, filming other people without their consent comes with serious legal troubles. This is a snapshot of some legal regulations and policies worldwide.
United States: In the United States, there are both federal and state laws governing issues of privacy and legal concerns about livestreaming. Capturing other people or their property without their consent is against state laws in the United States.
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other state laws require transparency in all forms of data collection. The Act protects the privacy, and live streamers will need permission before recording other people and their property. The California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) even appeals more to live streamers.
EU countries: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) prohibits processing personal data, including video footage of identifiable individuals. According to a report by the French Data Protection Authority (CNIL), a French stream was fined €10,000 for showing footage of a passerby without their consent. Some might argue that the French streamer was lucky. People who violate the GDPR face a fine of up to 20 million euros or 4% of their annual revenue.
Other jurisdictions: Time and space will not permit us to mention all the countries in the world and their legal restrictions regarding livestreaming and data collecting as a whole. In countries like Canada, Germany, and Japan, privacy laws are not different from those in other jurisdictions. Privacy laws also require consent before livestreaming or even broadcasting other individuals or their property. The Personal Information Protection Act of Japan emphasizes the rights of individuals to control their image and data. In Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) protects individuals’ rights to control their image and data.
For commercial livestreams, it is advised to obtain written consent before the livestream. But that will not be easy since the livestream will be 24/7.
Issues of intellectual property
Aside from legal troubles like privacy, live streamers might also face some content issues. Sometimes, your livestreams may involve other people’s content, such as music, branded products, and even TV shows. Some of these materials might be copyrighted. Livestreaming copyrighted content without the necessary permission may land you in legal trouble.
Some intellectual property issues that may put you into legal trouble include:
- Copyright infringement: Using copyrighted material without consent can lead to copyright infringement. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of the United States has struck a blow against streamers for background music. This sometimes leads to channel suspension.
- Trademarks: Showing logos or branded products can sometimes lead to legal issues.
Revenue generation from livestreaming
People make a lot of money from livestreams on regular basis. A 24/7 livestream will likely generate more revenue. Livestream is a legal form of self-employment. You can generate revenue through subscriptions, pay per view, or donations. Digital businesses like livestreaming must comply with labour and business regulations. Some of these regulations include:
- Income tax: Livestream income is subject to taxation in most countries.
- Business licensing: In some countries, live streamers are required to complete a real-name registration process for a business license.
- Platform policies: Most livestreaming platforms have their own policies and regulations that live streamers must comply with. Some of these platforms ban illegal or harmful content.
Livestreaming in public places
Livestreaming in public can cause legal problems. Filming in protected areas without permission is prohibited in many countries. In the U.S., you might be fined up to $1000 for non-compliance.
In the U.K., it could be worse. A streamer was fined £2,000 for filming strangers without their consent.
Content restrictions
Not all types of content are legal. There are some types of content you should avoid at all costs, whether you are charging for it or not. Some of these include:
- Harmful or obscene content: Streaming explicit, harmful, or violent content is prohibited in most countries.
- Defamation
Practical challenges of 24/7 livestream
Livestreaming your life 24/7 comes with some practical challenges including:
- Technical requirements like reliable internet access and recording equipment may pose significant challenges.
- Constant streaming erodes personal privacy and damages relationships with others.
- 24/7 livestreaming may lead to mental health issues like burnout.
- Maintaining your viewers’ interest will also be a challenge.
FAQs
| Questions | Legal answer |
| Can I livestream my life? | Yes. You can live stream your life provided you do not violate any legal guidelines. |
| Do I need permission to film other people? | Yes. Due to privacy, you need explicit consent to firm other people in your livestream. |
| Can I livestream in public places? | You can film in permitted areas. |
| Do I have to pay tax for livestreaming? | Yes. Livestreaming is considered a form of self-employment in many countries. |
| Do I need a license to livestream for money? | Yes. In some jurisdictions, you must undergo a real-name registration for an online business license. |
Conclusion
Livestreaming every second of your life is legally possible. Making it a legal job requires privacy, intellectual property, and business laws. Also, there are some legal pitfalls depending on the jurisdiction.
We hope we have been able to satisfy your curiosity. We appreciate your comments.
