# People in photos - guidelines do not agree **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [January 1, 2026, 12:01pm UTC](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/t/people-in-photos-guidelines-do-not-agree/110746 "2026-01-01T12:01:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cyndiepooh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@cyndiepooh](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/u/cyndiepooh)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 12:01pm UTC](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/t/people-in-photos-guidelines-do-not-agree/110746/1 "2026-01-01T12:01:48Z")
I would have sworn that all the photo guidelines posted everywhere had been corrected to read as stated here [https://wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/new/help/photo-guidelines](https://wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/new/help/photo-guidelines) > The following should not be submitted and, when reviewing, should be considered as rejection criteria: > … > Includes prominent people, body parts, or live animals However, today I noticed the part about being the focus is still left off here: [https://wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/new/criteria/guidelines](https://wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/new/criteria/guidelines) > Don’t submit images that are of the following (they should be rejected): > … > Includes people, body parts, or live animals The Rejection Criteria link has the “as the subject matter” wording [https://niantic.helpshift.com/hc/en/21-wayfarer/faq/2774-rejection-criteria/?l=en&p=web](https://niantic.helpshift.com/hc/en/21-wayfarer/faq/2774-rejection-criteria/?l=en&p=web) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/wayfarer/original/3X/7/a/7a9f1ff6f1de76e95b3fdcf9bf656e69c6f43019.png) We saw an appeal today rejected for having people in the main photo, so I believe the appeals team is confused on this, too. Which is it? Can incidental human beings be in the main photo? ---
**Author:** ![elijustrying](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wayfarer/user_avatar/community.wayfarer.scopely.com/elijustrying/32/25162_2.png) [@elijustrying](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/u/elijustrying)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 12:35pm UTC](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/t/people-in-photos-guidelines-do-not-agree/110746/2 "2026-01-01T12:35:02Z")
I am a little unclear if you are looking for a general discussion or for a specific case to be reviewed? I think this is an area for a judgement call each time. People including children may not be prominent or the focus but sometimes you judge they may be recognisable. I try to put myself in the shoes of those people that might be in the photo and consider would I find it intrusive? I consider the context of the photo too. I have stood around waiting for people to move or changed position to find an angle where I can take a photo without people as far as possible. I think each case can be different. ---
**Author:** ![cyndiepooh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@cyndiepooh](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/u/cyndiepooh)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 12:39pm UTC](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/t/people-in-photos-guidelines-do-not-agree/110746/3 "2026-01-01T12:39:46Z")
I am looking for clarification on the guideline. There is a separate case that has a separate topic that prompted this question. Which is it? Are photos with people just not allowed at all as indicated one place in the guidelines, or are they just not allowed to be “prominent” or “the subject matter”? ---
**Author:** ![cyndiepooh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@cyndiepooh](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/u/cyndiepooh)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 12:41pm UTC](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/t/people-in-photos-guidelines-do-not-agree/110746/4 "2026-01-01T12:41:56Z")
> [@elijustrying](#): > > People including children may not be prominent or the focus but sometimes you judge they may be recognisable. There is a separate guideline for “recognizable faces” that this would fall under. Now to find where that is said … Aha! that is here, too [https://wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/new/criteria/guidelines](https://wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/new/criteria/guidelines) under the don’t submit section: > - Photos with recognizable faces or license plates ---
**Author:** ![frealafgb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wayfarer/user_avatar/community.wayfarer.scopely.com/frealafgb/32/52580_2.png) [@frealafgb](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/u/frealafgb)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/t/people-in-photos-guidelines-do-not-agree/110746/5 "2026-01-01T12:44:01Z")
My understanding was always that people can be in photos, particularly in busy areas such as tourist places, city centres etc where it is unreasonable to expect to see the area clear of people. My understanding was that unidentifiable people in the background of a picture are therefore not an issue, and while we should try to take a picture without people, it shouldn’t mean everything containing a person should be rejected I reject photos containing a close up of a person, a person as the subject matter, or a person’s full face where they’d be recognisable. I would accept a picture with someone in the distance, either so far away their face isnt visible/is blurry, or witu their back to the camera. Am I correct, or incorrect? I would like some clarity too ---
**Author:** ![elijustrying](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wayfarer/user_avatar/community.wayfarer.scopely.com/elijustrying/32/25162_2.png) [@elijustrying](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/u/elijustrying)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/t/people-in-photos-guidelines-do-not-agree/110746/6 "2026-01-01T12:44:36Z")
I have now seen that. 👍 ---
**Author:** ![shritwod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@shritwod](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/u/shritwod)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/t/people-in-photos-guidelines-do-not-agree/110746/7 "2026-01-01T22:17:03Z")
I would say that the issue is with recognisable faces, even if you zoom in.. don’t assume that whatever game it is in question will thumbnail the person so they are unrecognisable. Body parts means things accidentally in shop such as fingers and other appendages, IMO. There’s also an issue with “submitter identifiable” where someone in the shot can be tied to the submitter. I’ve seen this a few times where one submitter often has another person in the supporting photo. Digital effects such as a magic eraser or coarse pixellation can make the problem go away, or simply cropping the people out of the picture. Remember that you can take a photo, edit it and than submit it as an existing photo. ---
**Author:** ![cyndiepooh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@cyndiepooh](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/u/cyndiepooh)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/t/people-in-photos-guidelines-do-not-agree/110746/8 "2026-01-01T22:20:21Z")
> [@shritwod](#): > > I would say that the issue is with recognisable faces agree, and that is listed separately as a reason to reject. but the guideline one place says people are not allowed in the photo and other places that they are but not prominently or as the focus. that is the issue i am raising. maybe i need to edit the title if i still can. done. does that edit make clearer what i am asking about? ---
**Author:** ![eneeoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9f8e36/32.png) [@eneeoh](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/u/eneeoh)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2026, 4:52pm UTC](https://community.wayfarer.scopely.com/t/people-in-photos-guidelines-do-not-agree/110746/9 "2026-01-02T16:52:29Z")
I think you are very clear, and the guidance and tool-tips need to be consistent and coherent, otherwise submitting and reviewing become too much of a craps-shoot, and everybody suffers.