Malaysian diners are raising privacy concerns over eateries livestreaming customers without consent, sparking debate on social media about ethical promotion.
PROMOTING one’s eatery to attract more customers is common, especially on social media, where businesses often share photos of customers alongside their testimonials on food and service.
However, it raises the question of how much promotion is too much, particularly when it may encroach on customers’ privacy.
A Malaysian man recently shared his frustration over an eatery allegedly recording diners on the premises for a livestream session.
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“I really don’t like it when I’m eating at a shop and someone suddenly goes live — facing me while I eat.
“There’s no privacy and it makes it hard to enjoy the meal peacefully,” he said in a viral Threads post.
As the post gained traction, other netizens shared similar concerns.
“It’s a turn-off for me when I’m buying things from a store and I see one of the workers livestreaming while trying to include customers,” a user said.
“I definitely won’t visit any shop that sets up cameras exposing customers’ faces like this. I’m a business owner too — I do go live sometimes, but I point the camera downwards at the products I’m selling,” commented another.
“Yes, if you want to go live, point it at the food, the menu, or even your own staff — that’s fine. But pointing it directly at customers’ tables is too much. At least respect customers’ privacy — people just want to enjoy their meal in peace,” another user added.