Was the airline being over-the-top about this?

I wonder how many pictures are out there that feature me in the background. I know for a fact that I am a background character in so many photos, not only because I live in New York City and am around big groups of people all the time, but because I’ve seen it happen! I try not to make a face when someone in front of me at a baseball game takes a selfie, but sometimes I just can’t help it! The knowledge that I am being captured inspires me to pose! 

Not everyone is as comfortable as I am with being in the background of strangers’ selfies. It’s scary to know that you might be making an ugly face in a photo you’ll never see. Worse of all, the people in possession of said photo might zoom in on your face and laugh at it! The horror! 

In some countries, it is illegal to take pictures of people in public without their permission. In Japan, you might have your phone’s camera shutter sound on to alert those around you when you are taking a picture. Such a policy would never take off in the United States, because taking photos of strangers looking silly is about as central to American identity as hot dogs and fireworks. 

The passenger in this story was confused when an airline employee took his phone to delete a selfie that he had taken with a flight attendant in the background. It’s hard to say whether the photo was taken in a country where this is illegal, or if this employee was particularly invasive.