[throwawayatty]

What's the practical difference between a TV show like "COPS" (or any of its various descendants), which features police recordings of its interactions in public with possibly-innocent suspects, and what's happening here? Is it merely the association with a commercial product?

[ppseafield]

COPS like any TV show blurs people's faces unless they sign a release.

[throwawayatty]

This is out of an abundance of caution, not necessarily because the law requires it. This explains it: https://www.quora.com/Does-the-Cops-TV-show-need-to-get-sign...

[ppseafield]

Sure, I get that, because they don't want to be sued.

You asked what the difference was with the social media post vs. TV: The difference is that COPS, etc., don't want to be sued, so they get releases, because they realize that they could potentially be sued (and sometimes for good reason!) I sincerely doubt the person in the post signed a release from Amazon.

If you argue that it's technically legal, the OP wasn't specifically arguing that either.

> Even if one claims the video is fine (and I'd disagree), it's still a very very very bad idea for Amazon, or any large company, to be enforcing the law and conducting mass shaming via advertising.

[geggam]

As an atty I am sure you are aware folks can sue and typically he with the most money wins, regardless of law (see:OJ)

[will_brown]

What does OJ have to do with a lawsuit and money?

OJ was tried criminally and was found not guilty (I assure you the state of California has more money than OJ, yet he prevailed).

OJ was then sued civilly for wrongful death by the Goldman’s (OJ probably had more money than the Goldman’s) and yet the Goldman’s prevailed in the civil suit.

[lern_too_spel]

The standard for winning a civil case (preponderance of evidence) is lower than the standard for winning a criminal case (beyond a reasonable doubt), so the two are not comparable.

[will_brown]

What does that have anything to do with the point being made of the OJ Simpson case as an example of money winning cases? In both the civil and criminal case the parties with more money/resources lost respectively.

[colejohnson66]

OJ is an interesting case. Basically though, the prosecution messed up enough that OJ’s team was able to instill enough doubt to avoid the “without a doubt” part needed for a jury

[will_brown]

They don’t blur faces on FBIs most wanted, those suspects haven’t given permission to use their name/likeness...the show solicits information from the public and even offers rewards for information leading to arrest.