German High Court Says Exes Must Delete Nude Photos

BERLIN, May 22 (UPI) — A German court ruled that at the end of a relationship, all intimate material should be destroyed if it is requested by one or both of the parties.

The ruling came after a woman brought her ex-partner, a professional photographer, to court demanding he delete the erotic photographs and videos he took of her with her consent. The Higher Regional Court of Koblenz agreed with the plaintiff, saying that consent to take and store intimate and nude material can be withdrawn at the partner’s request as an issue of privacy rights. The court said that a person’s right to privacy trumped photograph ownership rights.

Although when the woman pushed it even further and demanded he delete all of her photos, the court said that he was not required to delete the images of her clothed. The judge explained his caveat saying the pictures have, “little, if any capacity” to compromise the woman.