Consent to Use Likeness and Content

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington will only use your likeness and content with your agreement.

On this page:

Summary

This page sets out when and how the University may use your likeness and content. This page does not mean the University can use your likeness or any content automatically. Use depends on your agreement, the context in which material is collected, and the purposes explained below.

We will use your likeness and content respectfully and responsibly, make only minor edits, and manage your data consistently with Māori Data Sovereignty Principles and the University’s privacy notice.

We won’t use your likeness and content with generative AI tools or in ways that are unexpected, intrusive, or outside the purposes explained on this page.

You can say no, ask questions, or raise concerns at any time.

What this page is about

From time to time, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington collects photos, video, audio, written material and other content to feature on our website, social media, promotional materials, University publications and presentations, and other similar channels.

This page explains what that means, how this material may be used, and what choices you have.

This information is written mainly for students, but it also applies to staff, visitors, event attendees, contractors, and children who are on campus or involved in University activities.

What we mean by 'likeness' and 'content'

Likeness means anything that could reasonably identify you as a person. This can include:

  • photographs or video where you can be recognised
  • audio recordings of your voice
  • your name, image, or other identifying features
  • interviews with you, or your profile or stories.

Content means material you have authored or created and includes:

  • photos or videos you have taken
  • quotes, testimonials, or written contributions
  • essays, drawings, articles, presentations, or other materials you have produced, including your assignments and research for a course of study or University programme, event or other initiative.

Why we collect and use this material

We use likeness and content to support the University’s communications, marketing, and other similar activities, including:

  • promoting courses, research, events, and University life
  • sharing news and stories with prospective students, alumni, and the public
  • communicating about University initiatives and achievements.

This material may appear on University websites, social media channels, in promotional materials, University publications and presentations, and other similar channels.

Where and when we might collect this material

Likeness and content may be collected:

  • at public or ticketed events
  • during interviews, photoshoots, or filming
  • around campus in public or semi‑public spaces (e.g., lecture theatres)
  • when you voluntarily provide material for University communications, marketing, publications, and other similar activities.

For larger events, we usually provide notices or signage so people know that filming or photography is taking place.

Your choices and consent

The University does not automatically have permission to use all content you create or all images, recordings, or other material in which you appear. We use this material only in situations where you have chosen to participate, provided material to us, or where it would be reasonable to expect that photography or filming is taking place.

In some situations, we will ask for your explicit agreement before using your likeness or content, for example, for student stories, marketing campaigns, or paid promotional work.

In other situations, such as large public events, we usually rely on clear notice and the context of the event to explain that photography or filming is taking place.

For more on how we create our social media content specifically, see our social media commitment.

Where consent is requested:

  • you can ask questions before agreeing
  • you can say no, without it affecting your studies, employment, or relationship with the University.

When you provide content to the University for these purposes, you are licensing the University to use it. This means:

  • the University doesn’t acquire the copyright in the content
  • you give the University permission to use, reproduce, edit, adapt, and share the content
  • this may include use on websites, social media, promotional materials, University publications and presentations, and other similar channels.

By providing content, you are also confirming that:

  • you are the author of the work, or have the right to provide it
  • the content does not infringe anyone else’s copyright or other rights
  • you have permission from anyone else who appears in, or has contributed to, the content.

Editing, context, and publication

To present content clearly and consistently, the University may make minor edits or adjustments to likeness and content for editorial or practical reasons. This can include:

  • cropping or resizing images
  • basic colour correction, layout changes, or enhancements for visibility or readability
  • editing text for length, clarity, or house style and paraphrasing quotes.

We will not make material changes to any material without consulting you. However, because marketing and publication timelines can be tight, we will not usually be able to provide draft copy or previews for review before publication.

Sharing and using the content yourself

You are welcome to share or reuse copies of content that features you, for example on your own social media, website, or portfolio.

We ask that, where reasonable, you either:

  • include a link back to the University content or website, or
  • acknowledge Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington as the source.

If you share the content on social media, please consider using the official University handles or tags (@vicuniwgtn and #VicUniWgtn; for more, see our social media page).

Sharing with event sponsors

We may also share images or other content that feature you with event sponsors so they can use that material for their own promotional purposes. For example, a sponsor may feature participants from an event on the sponsor’s website or social media channels.

How we store and manage your likeness and content

The University stores photos, video, audio, written material and other content in Pāwai, our digital asset management system. Pāwai may hold:

  • the image, video, or other content itself
  • basic information about when, where, and how the content was collected
  • tags or keywords to help us organise and find content
  • records of the permissions or consents you have given for use of the content.

We use industry‑standard features and protections to help keep this information secure.

Pāwai may use automated tools to apply tags or labels to images and video (for example, to group similar images or identify broad features), in a similar way to consumer photo management tools such as Google Photos.

Generative AI

We will not use your likeness or content with any generative AI tools. We also do not use this information for other purposes, such as identifying or verifying who a person is by comparing images against unknown individuals. We will only disclose this information to others where required or permitted by law, as further explained in the University’s privacy notice.

Māori Data Sovereignty Principles

The University is committed to upholding the Principles of Māori Data Sovereignty as set out by Te Mana Raraunga—the Māori Data Sovereignty Network for likeness and content data. As explained further on this page, we will take care to collect and manage your likeness and content in ways that respect your authority and right to control how it is used (rangatiratanga), maintain its provenance and context (whakapapa), and protect it for the benefit of current and future generations (kaitiakitanga). We will not use any likeness or content of Māori people, communities, language, or culture in ways that are inconsistent with these principles.

Some of the University’s likeness and content data is currently held in Australia for technical reasons. The University plans to migrate the data to Aotearoa New Zealand when technically viable.

Children and young people

We take extra care when children aged 16 or under are involved in the University’s communications, marketing, and other similar activities.

For activities specifically involving children, consent will usually be sought from a parent or guardian.

Where children may be incidentally captured at public events, we aim to do so respectfully and avoid close‑up or identifying use unless appropriate consent is in place.

Reputation and wellbeing

We want to use people’s likeness and content in a way that is positive, respectful, and safe for you and for the University. Before featuring someone in marketing or promotional materials, it is important that there is nothing in the background or context that could reasonably:

  • cause harm to your wellbeing or safety
  • be considered culturally inappropriate
  • create issues under employment, pastoral care, health and safety, or student conduct frameworks
  • expose you or the University to unnecessary reputational risk
  • lead to misuse, misrepresentation, or disproportionate attention (including on social media).

For clarity, this only applies if you agree to be featured in University marketing or communications (like a marketing photoshoot or website profile). Before you agree to this type of activity, please tell us if there is anything we should be aware of that might make it inappropriate or unwise for you to be featured in this way. By agreeing to be featured, you also authorise us to take this information into account and commit to letting us know if anything relevant changes.

You also authorise the University to carry out reasonable and proportionate checks to support responsible decision‑making. This may include:

  • internal checks within relevant parts of the University (for example, student or staff support, health and safety, or disciplinary records, where appropriate)
  • limited checks of publicly available information.

These checks are not about judging or excluding people unfairly. They are about ensuring that featuring you is appropriate, safe, and unlikely to have unintended negative consequences for you or for the University.

Changing your mind or asking questions

If you have previously agreed to the use of your likeness or content for marketing or communications and later have concerns, you can contact us to discuss your options by emailing pawai@vuw.ac.nz in the first instance. While it may not always be possible to withdraw material that has already been published or widely shared, we will consider requests carefully and reasonably.

If you have questions about how your likeness or content is used by the University, you can contact us for more information.

This page sets out general information. More specific consent forms or guidance may apply for some University activities (such as student profiles, advertising campaigns, or events). Where this is the case, those details will be provided at the time. The specific consent forms will take precedence over the general information on this page.

For some professional or staged shoots where participation takes a significant amount of time, the University may agree to make a payment for your time. This only applies where this is agreed in advance. If payment is agreed:

  • the arrangement will be documented up front in a separate written agreement or contract
  • the agreement will clearly set out what is being paid for and the amount
  • payment will be subject to you completing any required tax, invoicing, or payment forms.

This guidance supplements, and does not replace, the University’s:

This page was created on 15 June 2026.