Problematic or protected? The debate over filming police in real time

Detailed summary

Social media posts showing real-time positions of police officers in a standoff with an armed suspect at the University of Toronto's Mississauga campus on Monday night prompted a stern warning from police, but legal experts say the law isn't clear-cut on the issue.

Posting officer positions is 'problematic,' but is it actually illegal?

Social media posts showing real-time positions of police officers in a standoff with an armed suspect at the University of Toronto's Mississauga campus on Monday night prompted a stern warning from police, but legal experts say the law isn't clear-cut on the issue.

"We saw many members of the public uploading images of the position of police officers during this active incident," Peel Regional Police Const. Tyler Bell said at a news conference on Tuesday. "This is a blatant safety concern. Doing so puts our officers in harm's way and any potential victims or hostages inside."

"Canadians have the right that is constitutionally protected to film on-duty police officers, but that right ends the second it interferes with the police operation or compromises the safety of people involved."

Opening of the article, excerpted from CBC News. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.