A tennis court, museum, memorial, temple, shrine — for social media creators, almost every place is now becoming a potential backdrop for their content. And this is sparking a global debate, whether they should film in public spaces, disrupting everyday life and compromising the sanctity of cultural landmarks.
At the 2026 US Open, during Naomi Osaka’s first-round match, a chair umpire had to reprimand spectators in a luxury suite after their filming and use of a bright portable light disrupted play. Other creators were also criticised for conducting photo shoots and recording videos while matches were in progress.
“I think obviously if you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport… I feel like it’s common courtesy to read up on the sport, especially the etiquette… I just think it has to be in a way that everyone knows the rules and the etiquette,” Osaka later said in a news report.
While the tournament is a good playground to welcome a new generation of fans and creators, the rules of the game are always old-fashioned “to not interfere with the game”.
As a result, Wimbledon organisers have announced they will not introduce a dedicated media accreditation category for influencers and content creators for the 2027 championships following spectator etiquette issues at the US Open. The All England Club will prioritise established media, keeping standard press passes separate from social media status, while there will be strict security and conditions of entry to confiscate disruptive gear, such as ring lights, that can distract players or interfere with play. So content creators and influencers are not banned from the grounds, but they must attend using standard ticket access rather than receiving special operational privileges or media area access.
In the age of the creator economy, even ancient places of worship have not been able to escape the logic of content.
In September, videos from Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Taisha showed tourists performing the viral ‘Anxiety’ TikTok dance beneath the shrine’s famous vermilion torii gates. The videos travelled online and so did the backlash. The criticism was not about dancing but the shrine where the act was happening.
Fushimi Inari is a sacred place of worship with a history stretching back more than 1,300 years. Worshippers and visitors were reportedly left waiting as people occupied walkways to film performances.
Japanese social-media users criticised the behaviour, while professional wrestler Aaron Henry better known as HENARE and American guitarist Marty Friedman were among those who publicly objected. Friedman argued that turning a centuries-old sacred site into a stage for going viral damages the reputation of foreign visitors.
In fact, Fushimi Inari issued guidance in Japanese and English reminding visitors that its grounds are a place for reflection and worship. It warned that staff would intervene when visitors engaged in disruptive performances.
Another video involving a Maori poi performance by an academic influencer went viral with 9 million views on X and generated enough criticism, with questions about whether a place of prayer was being treated as a stage.
Having said this, the influencer economy has blurred a basic distinction between a public place and a public stage. Creators photograph themselves while travelling, but also introduce millions of viewers to cultures and destinations they may never otherwise encounter.
Social media influencer Amulya Rattan also faced heavy online backlash in January after she accused a pedestrian of having ‘no civic sense’ for walking past her while she was recording a video on a public sidewalk. Indore influencer Prakriti Gaur was booked by the police in August after a video of her lying down on a zebra crossing at Lantern Square went viral. It seems the more unusual the setting, the greater the chance of attention.
But this month onwards, the Tamil Nadu government officially enforced a ban on carrying camera-enabled mobile phones and smartphones inside 52 major temples across the state such as Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai Nellaiappar Temple, and Tirunelveli Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Tiruttani.
Smartphones and camera phones are prohibited inside the premises of designated major temples to prevent photography, videography, selfies, and social media reels. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department introduced the measure, backed by Madras High Court directions, to preserve temple sanctity, maintain a peaceful environment for worship, and prevent crowd disturbances.