A campaign calling for action against social media creators who film vulnerable people on Newcastle’s streets has attracted more than 4,000 signatures.
The petition, launched by North Shields resident Christine Gray, urges authorities and social media platforms to tackle videos showing people who are sleeping rough, intoxicated, or experiencing mental health crises.
Christine said she became increasingly concerned after repeatedly seeing clips of vulnerable people being filmed and shared online for entertainment. She said: “I noticed these videos keep coming up on my social media feeds and they are making me really angry. These are people who cannot defend themselves.”
“There are people creating content from these vulnerable people and making money off them.”
The petition describes the videos as “harassing, dehumanising and dangerous” and calls on Newcastle City Council and Northumbria Police to intervene.
While filming people in public places without consent is not generally illegal in the UK, Christine believes repeatedly targeting vulnerable individuals should be treated as harassment. The 29-year-old said: “If you went into a care home or a hospital and started videoing people that would be classed as a safeguarding emergency.”
The petition calls for stronger enforcement of existing harassment laws, consideration of Community Protection Notices against repeat offenders, and clearer guidance from local authorities on filming vulnerable people in public.
Campaigners are also asking social media companies to remove content that exploits people in distress or encourages harassment.
The petition states: “No one should be filmed while in distress, intoxicated, sleeping rough, or experiencing a mental health crisis. These individuals deserve safeguarding, privacy, and dignity – not public humiliation for entertainment.” It adds: “Newcastle is a city known for compassion, community, and solidarity. Exploitative filming does not represent us.”
Both Newcastle City Council and Northumbria Police declined to comment.
