Monaco has always been synonymous with discreet glamour, of champagne, red carpets and dreamy gambling. Now, however, the City-State is taking a decisive step to also consider a high level of personal data protection as part of luxury. Now, in the most exclusive casinos and hotels, photographing or filming guests without consent is no longer just bad manners but a criminal offence!
The recent update of Articles 308-2, 308-3 and 308-4 of the Monegasque Criminal Code, It explicitly prohibits any unauthorised filming. In addition, Act No. 1.565 of 3 December 2024 on the protection of personal data significantly strengthens the protection of guests, bringing Monaco into line with the European standards of the GDPR (European General Data Protection Regulation No. 679/2016).
For example, in the places managed by Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) - from the Casino de Monte-Carlo to the Sun Casino, some multilingual signs clearly remind:
“Please do not film or photograph hotel and casino guests. Any offender is subject to sanctions.”
All this is reminiscent of the origins of privacy, with the 1890 article The Right to Privacy by the American jurists Warren and Brandeis who, discussing the emerging phenomenon of gossip, discussed the need to provide concrete protection for the individual from the prurient curiosity of the public with effective safeguards from unwarranted intrusions into private and social life.
Ensuring privacy is valuable.
Basically, Monaco tells visitors: here you are free from the flash and the prying eye of the paparazzo. For operators, demonstrating that they know how to properly manage and protect guest data becomes a competitive asset to spend on the market. The greater the security one is able to guarantee, the greater the trust and reputation of the brand. Also because guests recognise the value of a service that is able to guarantee their privacy and, consequently, will be more likely to select it.
The parallel with the European GDPR, which is now in its tenth year since its entry into force, is obvious. Since images and videos constitute personal data since they are information referable to a specific natural person, filming without a legitimising condition such as consent constitutes unlawful processing. Here, in both contexts - EU and Munich - the message is clear: privacy is not and cannot be considered an optional extra, but a right to be protected with concrete instruments.
The cultural signal through a simple but revolutionary rule.
The consent rule, in fact, places the subject being filmed at the centre of the protections by giving him or her maximum power of control over the use of his or her personal data. In its practical and actual effect, it allows guests to fully enjoy the luxury experience without the fear of feeling observed or being immortalised without their knowledge. It also provides operators with the opportunity to integrate privacy protection into their business model, while also providing insights and elements through which this element can be enhanced: from clearly visible signage, to training and awareness-raising of staff interfacing with guests, to continuous improvement towards maintaining excellence in service quality.
This legislative choice is not just the solution to a security or regulatory compliance issue, but expresses a cultural signal. In an era when images spread instantly and uncontrollably and the boundary between public and private is increasingly blurred, Monaco decides to defend privacy by recognising it as an integral part of the luxury experience. It is a choice that combines ethics, marketing and law as it protects individuals, enhances the Principality's brand and at the same time sends a clear message to the entire international tourism sector.
It is strange to come to consider it fascinating how such a technical regulation can have such a concrete impact on the daily lives of visitors. It adds to the glamour and spectacle, providing the opportunity to experience luxury in a private way, without unwanted intrusion. And perhaps it is precisely this that makes the experience most valuable.
Monaco thus proves that true luxury today is not only what one sees or wants to show off, but also an experience to be lived in total serenity.
