After recently receiving a visit to our waste collection depot from one of the most famous YouTube Auditors I thought it would be a good opportunity to explain what they are all about and how to handle them effectively.
These encounters can be unsettling, but with the right approach, staff can avoid escalation and maintain professionalism.
What are YouTube and social media ‘Auditors’?
They are individuals who film in public areas—often at government buildings, industrial sites, council facilities, and police stations—to test whether staff will unlawfully restrict their right to record. They film using drones, body cams and other cameras and post their encounters on YouTube or other social media. Their videos focus on whether staff attempt to stop lawful filming.
Why do they film?
Auditors have several motivations:
- Testing legal boundaries. They want to see if staff understand that filming in public spaces is permitted.
- They claim they are promoting transparency. Some describe themselves as citizen journalists promoting accountability.
- Financial incentive. Confrontational videos generate more views, and some auditors earn significant income from dramatic footage.
Common auditor tactics
Auditors may use behaviours designed to provoke strong reactions:
- Filming prominently in public or semi‑public areas.
- Refusing to explain why they are filming or giving vague answers.
- Speaking rudely or provocatively to staff.
- Attempting to access restricted areas or film sensitive points.
- Editing videos to emphasise conflict.
- Livestreaming to encourage viewer interaction and escalate tension.
Understanding these tactics helps staff avoid falling into traps.
The ideal staff response
The best advice is to ignore them as much as possible. Staff should:
- Stay calm and professional. They want an emotional reaction and calm interactions reduce the impact of their footage.
- Remain neutral and polite.
- Don’t interfere with lawful recording. Attempting to stop them is what they are looking for. Staff should not block cameras, demand that filming stops or ask for footage to be deleted.
- Enforce only genuine access restrictions and point out signs and safety requirements. If someone attempts to enter a restricted area, follow normal security or escalation procedures.
- Keep answers short or decline to engage.
- Avoid arguments and legal debates.
- Call for support only when there is an actual issue not simply because someone is filming.
These behaviours deny auditors the conflict they seek and ensure your organisation “passes” their audit by default.
Key takeaways
- Auditors rely on your reaction to create content.
- A calm, minimal, professional response denies them that opportunity.
- Staff safety, dignity, and professionalism always come first.
Most auditors leave quickly when staff refuse to give them the dramatic footage they are seeking.
Further information
Further information is available from the National Protection Security Agency
