I've just been reading about a grandmother in the Netherlands who is facing fines if she continues to refuse to take down photos of her grandchildren. The children's mother has repeatedly asked her to remove the photos. A few years ago a visitor to our house from overseas gleefully took a lot of photos in our house during a family gathering. No problem. But, minutes later, she was cheerily showing the gathered assembly that she'd put some of them up on Facebook, including some of me, complete with captions. I caused a right old atmosphere when I immediately asked her in no uncertain terms to remove them. She couldn't understand why I was asking. I didn't feel the need to give her a reason. I think it's outrageous that anyone should think that posting photos online without the express permission of the subject is all right.

I don't have anything to do with Facebook and never have, except for one occasion when I couldn't read the tributes, unless I joined, to someone close to me who had died prematurely and suddenly. I unjoined about a week later (not easy...). It occurs to me that there could be not only photos of me but also all kinds of scurrilous stuff about me up there that I'm blissfully unaware of. Not that I have anything to hide, but that's hardly the point...