Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan is considering the adoption of a law aimed at strengthening the protection of citizens' rights concerning their images. The Ministry of Justice has put forward a corresponding draft law for public discussion.

The document, developed at the directive of the president or government, proposes amendments to the Civil Code, the Labor Code, and the Code of Administrative Responsibility.

The proposed Article 100-1 of the Civil Code introduces legal norms regulating the protection of image rights. Specifically, capturing a person’s appearance—through photography, video recording, visual artwork, or any other means allowing identification—and the subsequent use of these images is permitted only with the individual’s consent.

In the case of minors (under 16 years of age) or legally incapacitated persons, such consent must be provided by parents or legal representatives. If a person has passed away and had not granted permission for the use of their image during their lifetime, consent must be obtained from their heirs.

The use of an image includes its distribution, publication, display, storage, processing, and any other form of disclosure.

However, the draft law provides exceptions where consent is not required. These cases include:

— Declaring a person wanted;
— Government agencies performing their official duties;
— Reporting on offenses and security threats, provided this does not demean the honor and dignity of the affected party;
— Filming public officials and government representatives in the performance of their duties;
— Recording mass events such as rallies, meetings, demonstrations, as well as private occasions like weddings, funerals, and anniversaries;
— Using images created for a fee for their intended purpose;
— Posting an image by the person themselves in the public domain or obtaining it from publicly accessible sources (except for commercial use);
— Conducting video surveillance in public places to maintain order and security.

At the same time, installing cameras in such places must be accompanied by appropriate warning signs, and video surveillance is strictly prohibited in areas where individuals may be partially or fully undressed.

The document also clarifies the definition of a public place. This includes buildings, structures, and their parts, as well as any spaces designated for general use, regardless of whether they are enclosed or have restricted access. Additionally, a private space may be considered public if it is effectively open to outside observation.

The draft law provides for the possibility of revoking consent for the use of an image if it is used for unintended purposes or in a manner that affects the citizen’s honor and dignity.

The proposed restrictions do not apply to operational-investigative, intelligence, and counterintelligence activities, which are governed by separate legislative acts.

As part of the amendments to the Labor Code, the draft law proposes enshrining norms that guarantee the protection of employees' images in labor relations.

Furthermore, modifications may be introduced to Article 46-1 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility. In particular, illegal collection or dissemination of personal life information without an individual’s consent is expected to include liability for the use of covert technical means (hidden cameras or audio recorders) to obtain such data. Violations of this provision would result in fines ranging from 10 to 40 base calculation units (from 3.75 to 15 million soums), along with the confiscation of the recording devices.