'Auditors'

They really are very special. I've seen a couple of their video outside of police stations, military sites etc. Without fail, the person challenging them is polite and professional but, without fail, the guy filming still manages to be a victim.

Yeah, YouTube served a vid up for me a couple of weeks ago randomly, and it was genuinely weird one of this guy turning a regular security guard's morning into a shit fest, for no reason that I could fathom. I watched a couple more out of interest, and I've got to say, I've never seen a group of blokes so badly in need of either a blowjob or a hobby in my life.

We had a young auditor* round today, peering in the bins, skip and then windows.

Arrived with a small wheelie suitcase and a wh smiths carrier bag. Dressed head to toe in black, with a mask pulled up to his eyes, hoodie down to his brows. Oh and marigolds on.

Apparently he was skip dipping and the mask is because the bins smell, the marigolds because well, he was skip dipping.

Didn't look like he'd be able to carry much off in has bag if he found it.

*I guess he just have been an auditor from your description. We thought he was looking for somewhere suitable to stash the content of his wheelie bag until someone else picked it up later.

I long for the day when advertisers realise that their YouTube adverts are worthless as people just zone into the "skip ad" timer, then hopefully these vacuous people will disappear up their own arseholes.

I don't want to seem too judgy here but they seem to be a bunch of self-righteous attention whores looking for confrontation. There are a lot on YouTube and they get plenty of affirmation in the comments section so I guess they're getting the attention they seek. File along with those "Sovereign Citizen" muppets and move on.

You can film pretty much what you like in a public place*, happy to leave them to it rather than give them usable footage for their clickbait channel.

*certain secure sites excepted.

Had dealings with them in a previous life, very damaged goods.

@franksinatra - i can't believe it's become a thing??

@johnners - not judgey at all. I would say an accurate observation. Yes, there are loads of people in their comments who think they're doing a public service or something. I like to think i know how the world works, but this has had me questioning myself all day!! 😀

@nickc - spot on. Looking at this chap, i doubt he could give it away so i can only assume this is his outlet!! 😀

we had one at a site that's partly MOD( in the loosest of terms) despite all our pleading with him and his mate not to wind up the staff in the other units over the road and telling him what the unit I was working in did and like the op making them a cuppa ect they had to push the buttons of the staff working over the road.

Basically waisted everyones time for most of the day and acting like utter plonkers just trying to get a response, turned out his car had no tax and a bold tyre so that went down well. I believe it was live streamed on Facebook or somewhere my mate had nosey at his profile as I don't do Facebook it was full of Trump conspiracy stuff apparently.

Basically harassing people doing their dull jobs.

The professional attitude of the staff from the other unit was amazing tbh standing all day 50cms from a prat giving it the big don't tell me the law I can do what l want ect she never said a word to him just stood her ground .

Honestly just have a read of what you've written. "Challenging" people who are behaving entirely legally in a public space? How would you react if some busybody "challenged" you for cycling (in a legal and safe manner)? Get over yourselves.

What's wrong with just leaving them to their (admittedly weird) hobby?

Yep also aware of this through work. Mainly that was my thought too that they're just harrassing fairly low paid security personnel because if you do it enough times you will get a reaction. Some private security are trained to restrain people etc so there's always the chance someone will overstep a bit. Is there a bit of grift to it? Like get a reaction, get tackled and then go for some compo?

Saw one on YT where the guy was standing at the main entrance to a haulage site having a melt down at the security for trying to move him on,

Security: There are great big massive trucks turning in and out of here, it's not safe to stand there you might get splattered

Auditor: mY riGHts!! My Rights!

Secuirty: Yeah whatever, it's really not safe the trucks are big and you are small and not easily seen.

Auditor: I have RiGHHHTs to stand here. You can't stop me

Secuity: Whatever.

Police Scotland have published a briefing note about it, interesting to see their take on Auditors.

What’s wrong with just leaving them to their (admittedly weird) hobby?

Its probably for the best since I think its less a hobby rather than a money making venture. However I am not sure comparing it to cycling is really applicable. I can see why people wouldnt be to fond of being filmed at random and popping out to ask why.

Way back in the dim and distant past I do remember some cases where people taking photos in public spaces (generally of the architecture) got hassled by over keen security guards. I do wonder if people saw some of those and it mutated into deliberately trying to get hassled by guards.

Yeah, I stumbled upon these very odd types on YT a while back. They are part of the whole Sovereign Citizen/ Magna Carta cluster fudge. There is an overlap into covid denial and a lot of other conspiracy junk too. "15 minute cities" is a new trigger for them.lol

My son said they've been to his police station in the past though he has not had feelings dealings with them.

He's been told just to fulfil his legal obligations to them but other than that just not to engage as they are basically mobile trolls looking for oxygen.

Social media and the impending weaponisation of AI is going to make this (and worse) the norm.

My lad had an interesting interaction with an antivaxxer recently. That person probably had mote important things they should worry about other than lecturing on why he shouldn't have had his covid jabs/ wore a mask...

Odd and increasingly dangerously odd imo.

The "Auditors" are also grifting of course but are followed by people that had basically self radicalized.

My son said they’ve been to his police station in the past though he has not had feelings with them.

He's not in the Met then?

No, not the met.

Lol, sorry. Didnt fully read your quote.😂

I'll go edit it.

For the most part they seem to audit the car park than the action of the people.

Little more than attention seekers.

The Buzz attitude seems to fit here:

Honestly just have a read of what you’ve written. “Challenging” people who are behaving entirely legally in a public space? How would you react if some busybody “challenged” you for cycling (in a legal and safe manner)? Get over yourselves.

What’s wrong with just leaving them to their (admittedly weird) hobby?

When they decide to bother the personnel guarding sensitive sites, they create a burden on the rest of the team to make sure the duty is covered and there's no lapses in the integrity of the site.

You can behave legally and be an inconsiderate arsehole all at the same time. But if all you've ever had to worry about in terms of security is making sure your front door is locked then I wouldn't expect you to understand the burden and stress these mouthbreathers cause.

They might be behaving entirely legally but they’re also acting like prize arseholes at the same time. Rule 1 applies.

i was somehow a tyrant and i have no rights in public spaces.

The irony is stong if they are walking around in public spaces filming stuff to try and score a reaction on thier YT channel.

This is a new buzz word for me... can we file 'auditors' under the same file as 'influencers'?

Or maybe they were being super clever and were actually casing the joint out under the guise of being an annoying person with a phone...hiding in plain sight and all that.

To be fair, real life auditors can hardly claim to be any more interesting.

There are two ways to legally upset them.

Play music, so their videos get hammered for copyright. Best to pick some tunes that YouTube refuse to pay royalties on, as their algorithm will usually pretty quickly kill the audio rendering the video pointless (or even more pointless!).

Ask if they are recording for business purposes aka they are monetising the video somewhere, as if they are, then you can refuse permission under GDPR for you to feature in their video.

There was a TikTok account a couple months ago that was exposing various auditors, which I found quite entertaining.
Some of the ones they exposed absolutely spat the dummy out when they were on the receiving end of their medicine, as for some strange reason, they didn't like it when somebody followed them around with a camera.
There was also the one that turned out to be a company owner, and after being exposed, his company got absolutely hammered. He started sending threatening emails to the exposer, and was even less amused when the exposer simply replied that he had legally promoted a company selling certain items, and any connection was purely coincidental.

What's the point in being part of a movement to overthrow globalist tyranny and then volunteering to be an...auditor. it's like being in Starship Troopers or the A Team and wanting to work in the stores.

With The Captain.  While never being antagonistic or buzzing places with drones, I have had the police around several times because of  a "weird hobby"

I'm one of those people who provide the Geograph photos.   Like to think that is less of a waste of space than the "auditors" though.

We had one visit work - a large factory and warehouse across two sites making large industrial engines and generators.

We had a tip off he was in the area so security staff were briefed. Everyone was nice and friendly to him, talked a bit about what we do, let him film outside the perimeter as much as he liked - he didn’t get anything of interest and went off quietly. The resulting YouTube video is pretty dull (I won’t link to it so as not to encourage him with extra views).

Genuinely intrigued as to what the point of it is? What are they trying to prove or disprove? Just seems rather sad.

what the point of it is?

Just to make content for social media I think. Very shallow.

I’ve genuinely never heard of this behaviour. It’s utterly bizarre!

It's another thing that's crossed the pond courtesy of our estranged cousins.

I looked into the legalities Of taking photographs in public by watching a really good YouTube video  by a professional photographer who, explained what he can and can’t do but he also showed some security guards getting all upset when he was taking photographs of the outside of the building, this was in central London.
After watching that video  the algorithm started throwing up, other videos, including ones of auditors . I surprised and disappointed by the lack of professionalism, and how  Ill informed, some of the police were.

This  being a prime example,  and from an Inspector who was found guilty of assault.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63412662

To be fair to the police, security guards and owners/managers of factories the auditors can be class A windup merchants as the more views they get the more money they earn.

If the Police officers can’t deal with them without losing their temper they have been poorly trained/managed or are in the wrong profession. The videos from the US of Police are on another level of bad.

While being fairly conversant with internet goings on, in particular ‘<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">influencers’, this is the first time I’ve heard of ‘auditors’. I have zero time for ‘influencers’, but ‘auditors’, as has been alluded, are clearly a new weird species of QAnon/conspiracist/Right Wing mouth-breather who’ve clearly managed to break out of their parents basement determined to make ordinary people’s lives as miserable and difficult as they possibly can.
It’s highly unlikely that I’m ever going to be in contact with such vermin, retired as I am, but I do like the idea of playing copyrighted music loudly in front of them to get automatic takedown notices. Or just get a nice, loud whistle and blow it repeatedly. </span>

Just had a thought, have a drone flying just above their heads, slightly out of reach, following them with the camera pointing straight at their faces. That ought to wind them up a bit, especially with the constant buzzing of the rotors!

Although there seems to be a fair few of these characters about, i for one have not been lucky enough to find one I can be abusive to.

Maybe one day I will and can point at, laugh, and ridicule to my hearts content 😀

Genuinely intrigued as to what the point of it is? What are they trying to prove or disprove? Just seems rather sad.

I think to make it fun you need to have a general belief that there are all sorts of things going on that are conspiracies of one kind or another. But not in an overt sort of way, just a hint that "I'm out side a so-called vegetable distribution depot in Solihull let's look at what's going on"

Not read the whole thread but interesting views that people are saying these are odd people etc

IMO possibly, but it’s more about YouTube being unregulated , and actually the voyeurism of people who watch YT.

Produce content on YT that you can get on the BBC or ITV and no one will watch it. This type of stuff would be banned on national TV or get loads of complaints but on YT the person knows they will get views, comments and likes. They are not unhinged, they just know they can make money and get views

They are not unhinged

I expect the early "auditors" are but as this fad gains attention the grifters take notice and realise it's a money maker

Either way, these are the kind of people that even the territorial army wouldn't take

Well, I've learnt something today ! The world is full of 'nobbers'.

I found this phenomenon on YT the other week. I can't quite get it - it seemed to me to be people going around filming mundane stuff with the angle of "I can be anywhere and film anything I want" and be basically enticing conflict. I can't believe the fella in the few I watched didn't get sparked out. A weird way to live your life... clicked on the 3 dots on YT to stop suggesting that kinda bollocks to me and carried on watching pandas falling out of trees...

All people need to do is ignore them and mind their own business.

Like it or not, what the auditors are doing is entirely within the law. I actually appreciate them teaching a few lessons on things like drone flying and photography in public areas.

Like it or not, what the auditors are doing is entirely within the law

Sure, but that's not the point of the YouTube output though is it? The point is to wind people up for clicks.

Anyone who is wound up by people taking pictures in public must find it very difficult to walk down the high street of their local town, liberally festooned as it is with CCTV cameras.

Sure, but that’s not the point of the YouTube output though is it? The point is to wind people up for clicks.

They don't need to wind up most of the people ('security') they interact with though, they come marching over and instruct these auditors to stop filming or bring their drone down without knowledge of the law. If documenting some of the terrible attitudes from security/company employees makes them a few quid from YT ads then fair enough.

There are videos where security/employees interact positively, understand the law (or are open to understanding the detail) and the subsequent reputation of the company is enhanced. That's the way I see it anyway.

Like it or not, what the auditors are doing is entirely within the law.

That may be the case, but every video I've seen, they break rule number 1. They deliberately wind up those they interact with looking for controversy.

Anyone who is wound up by people taking pictures in public must find it very difficult to walk down the high street of their local town, liberally festooned as it is with CCTV cameras.

Not even comparable. I am certainly no expert, but the council will not be broadcasting the video they capture. They will have guidelines in place about the use of the video, how it is stored and used, will comply with GDPR etc.

YouTube is unregulated and people are using this vids to make money simple as.

That may be the case, but every video I’ve seen, they break rule number 1. They deliberately wind up those they interact with looking for controversy.

Let's not forget there are many 'auditors' with varying approaches. On the flip side to your experience, most videos I've watched starts out with the auditor - a member of the public - being treated unfairly/disrespectfully by security or a company employee. In the rare cases they're treated as people would like to be treated themselves, the interaction doesn't descend into a wind up.

They will have guidelines in place about the use of the video, how it is stored and used, will comply with GDPR etc.

YouTube is unregulated and people are using this vids to make money simple as.

Unregulated? What needs regulating in this context? People are doing lawful activities.

 In the rare cases they’re treated as people would like to be treated themselves, the interaction doesn’t descend into a wind up.

I will bet a shiny new 50p that the share and likes for those are not nearly the same for more "robust" interactions. They know what they're doing and they do it on purpose. Winding up some dude on a minimum wages for clicks/likes is a shitty way to treat people and earn a buck, and you can dress it up anyway you want, but that's what everybody knows is going on.

On the flip side to your experience, most videos I’ve watched starts out with the auditor – a member of the public – being treated unfairly/disrespectfully by security or a company employee.

No doubt because more often the "auditor" has been a pain in the backside before their video edit starts, their raison d'etre is to get a rise from whoever/whatever they are videoing to get more hits on YouTube so not exactly an innocent starting point is it?

I will bet a shiny new 50p that the share and likes for those are not nearly the same for more “robust” interactions. They know what they’re doing and they do it on purpose. Winding up some dude on a minimum wages for clicks/likes is a shitty way to treat people and earn a buck, and you can dress it up anyway you want, but that’s what everybody knows is going on.

Oh filming how people react to their lawful activities is certainly done on purpose. And the videos I've watched, the auditor often explains to people that they're making money from the YT ads.

The point is that if people didn't approach these auditors with an aggressive and ill-informed attitude, there wouldn't be the argumentative content (which goes both ways). Ignore the member of the public doing a lawful activity, instead of thinking you're the law, and there isn't an issue. It goes both ways.

No doubt because more often the “auditor” has been a pain in the backside before their video edit starts, their raison d’etre is to get a rise from whoever/whatever they are videoing to get more hits on YouTube so not exactly an innocent starting point is it?

You're suggesting that pre-video scenario to bolster your viewpoint though. You have no idea whether that happens or not.

Edit - and as I've previously said, they don't need to be a pain in the backside to kick things off - it's the ill-informed security/employee who approaches someone filming ordering them in a sh1tty way to stop filming. Know the law, simple.

"Personal space."

 Ignore the member of the public doing a lawful activity

But we all know that they're only there to get a rise out of the security/employee. That's it, there's zero other reason for the auditor to stand outside a premises whether it's legal or not. If the auditor doesn't show up, nothing will happen.

It goes both ways.

Nope, one side of the interaction knows why they are there and what they want, and will deliberately set out to try to get that.

what the auditors are doing is entirely within the law.

One of the ones I saw a bit of was clearly acting outside the law ( too close to buildings and people, drone not in line of sight)and indeed many of them could be done for harassment or breach of the peace?

Ive seen drone footage shot from just outside my 4th floor windows.  If I see the drone it is getting knocked out of the air.

most videos I’ve watched starts out with the auditor – a member of the public – being treated unfairly/disrespectfully by security or a company employee.

You must be watching different videos then. Most that I have seen show measured responses from companies whilst being baited by a self righteous bellend who wants to get a reaction.

Unregulated? What needs regulating in this context? People are doing lawful activities.

ofcom regulate all British broadcasting companies and provide a framework which they have to work within.

These idiots on YT are doing what the hell they like with not regulation or framework.

That vid linked above is awful. low life scum trying to make money out of ruining peoples day who play by the rules of being respectable normal people. Its shameful, and also shameful of the type of people who watch that crap

A weird way to live your life… clicked on the 3 dots on YT to stop suggesting that kinda bollocks to me and carried on watching pandas falling out of trees…

Another victim of Big Panda brainwashing.

Damn you poopscoop, my incredulous curiosity kept me watching that for longer than I should & that I guess is part of the problem ☹️

There’s simply nothing to react to if you aren’t an officious jobsworth. What on earth was the security guard trying to do in that video? I didn’t watch much but the first few mins was him marching up persistently and aggressively to someone backing away on what looked like a public road. I accept that there may have been a prior altercation not shown.

There’s simply nothing to react to if you aren’t an officious jobsworth. What on earth was the security guard trying to do in that video? I didn’t watch much but the first few mins was him marching up persistently and aggressively to someone backing away on what looked like a public road. I accept that there may have been a prior altercation not shown.

A bloke walks up to your business in a Balaclava, walks on to your private property, asks what you have inside, provokes you, is rude and quick frankly a dick head, and you wonder why the guy doesnt react too great?? They pushed him purposely to breaking.

Lets take this to the extreme. What the manager should have done is called the cops. Cops come out an arrest the YT guys for trespassing. No harm done, except some baby robin dies some where because the Police couldnt get there, and lots of public money has been wasted, all because some low lifes wouldn't get a proper job and thought it better to make money out of exploiting people.

What on earth was the security guard trying to do in that video?

From what I could see the employee was trying to get someone to move outside the curtiledge of the site but they were not responding to his repeated reasonable requests to do so, other than to say "yes we will leave" and then continuing to stand there. The banality of the rest of it was mind numbing "ooh that sign looks new", "ooh look at these high kerbs", "perhaps they've got some wood in there". I guess everyone's got to have a hobby...

@thecaptain - you turn up at home from a day at work and there's a guy walking up and down outside your house filming it, he films you pulling on to your driveway and going into your house. You go upstairs to get changed, come back down, look out the window and he's still walking up and down filming. Your wife comes home and he films her......would you not be in the least bit inquisitive as to what he is doing and would you not like to ask him what he is doing? Or would you be completely comfortable with that?

most videos I’ve watched starts out with the auditor – a member of the public – being treated unfairly/disrespectfully by security or a company employee

The key bit there is "starts out with..."

The edited bit the auditor may start with on YouTube may not be in context.

One of the issues is if your at work your employer had a legal right to keep staff safe.

People filming and interacting with staff in a non pleasant way = staffing nightmare for said company that guy I encountered was trying to film our staff badges with employee bar codes ect asking our names Incase it "ends up in court mate"

All for absolutely nothing like I typed above stopping me doing a dull job by a very dull person (me).

Although I got free lunch from the canteen nextdoor so win win

There are better ways to be productive than filming random units

One of the ones I saw a bit of was clearly acting outside the law ( too close to buildings and people, drone not in line of sight)and indeed many of them could be done for harassment or breach of the peace?

Fair enough. On the other hand most videos I watch the drone pilots are aware of the restrictions based on the weight of drone, airspace etc. and fly within the rules, from a public space. It's the jobsworths that come steaming out starting off with 'you can't do that!'. Much as some here would like to ignore the fact, it *does* go both ways. The auditors are not forcing some of these people to approach aggressively and act ridiculously.

It's not that different from being shouted at/accused of doing something wrong/not paying road tax, for simply riding my bike on the road. You get frothing ill-educated people in all walks of life. In fact, I might start documenting these interactions and put them on YT. Or would I also be in the wrong for encouraging the argument?

I might start documenting these interactions and put them on YT. Or would I also be in the wrong for encouraging the argument?

To be fair, you sound like the kind of person that already does

These idiots on YT are doing what the hell they like with not regulation or framework.

Again, we're probably referencing completely different people. The videos I watch, have someone flying drones from a public area, in accordance with the law. Some Security people don't like it and call the Police. The Police then tell Security what's permitted within the law and that they haven't got a valid complaint. The Police leave.

If Security understood the law in the first place, the Police wouldn't be called and their time wouldn't be wasted.

As for posting the videos on YT, isn't that allowed?

I'm not sure I follow the 'doing what the hell they like with no regulation or framework' angle.

, I might start documenting these interactions and put them on YT.

Missed your chance, that market's been filled with many many cyclists who film their many (mostly antagonistic) encounters with other road users already, they seem to have them on a daily basis that I'd  have maybe once or twice every year. It's almost like they go looking for them for them clicks...

To be fair, you sound like the kind of person that already does

I imagine your comment is intended to be derogatory? If so, no need for that. I'm simply pointing out how I see things from the videos I've seen.

These people are tools. The way DJ audits pushed the manager for walking up to him when he spends his spare time harassing others is just mad.

DJ is called Nigel dicks and runs his own business on an industrial estate selling ac adaptors. All common knowledge. He also doesn't like being "audited". Obviously.

I guess YouTube makes him money.

I found this phenomenon on YT the other week. I can’t quite get it – it seemed to me to be people going around filming mundane stuff with the angle of “I can be anywhere and film anything I want” and be basically enticing conflict. I can’t believe the fella in the few I watched didn’t get sparked out.

Before "Auditors" there were "Helmet-Cammers" a good chunk of which seemed to thrive on YT by seeking confrontation while doing something legal, eventually YT reaches saturation point and people stop watching.

I think the whole Auditor thing crosses over with the whole 'Sovereign Citizen' Anti-vax/environmentalism/woke/etc/etc conspiracist grifters. People looking to create "controversy" and gain an income from monetising videos about very little.
The jackpot is when they manage to be objectively unpleasant while technically remaining just the right side of legal, and making some poor sod look/behave poorly.

File them under "Repeated breakers of Rule 1" and see how the Cleansing fire of the Al-Gore-Rhythm treats them once the next Alt-Right nutbar fad sweeps in...

Lots of Rule#1 breaking on both sides here. I suspect a strong correlation between YouTube clicks and flouting of ‘#1’.

Not sure if I prefer stronger alignment with ‘the law’ or ‘#1’. In an ideal world the latter but I’m increasingly aware that the world is full of selfish and entitled ****ers.

@lamp I do get people stopping outside, gawping at and photographing my home quite a lot actually, I sometimes go and say hello and tell them a little of its history. Never occurred to me that I should go and “challenge” them about it. What am I supposed to be bothered about exactly?

The guy who actually parked on the driveway and started unloading his car (staying at nearby Airbnb), I was a little less polite towards.

Of course filming into the windows of a private house is actually an offence (at least potentially), if I thought someone was using a telephoto aimed at the bedroom I would probably be less amenable.

People looking to create “controversy” and gain an income from monetising videos about very little

I don't think I would make these videos for the money - YouTube doesn't pay that much. They're just obsessives and nobbers for the most part, aren't they?

Could you carry out a citizens arrest on these people?

Could you carry out a citizens arrest on these people?

I imagine you can carry out a citizen's arrest on anyone who is committing an offence?

LOL yeah assault and false imprisonment always looks good on a security guard’s CV.

As drone pilot - who films proper organised material with a full license, and tries to improve my skills etc - I think these guys who like testing drone rules on unsuspecting workers and security guards are wasting everyone's time.

They have small sub 250g drones , don't need much in the way of formal qualifications and insurance - but like to exploit the fringes of CAA regs and ignorance of the general population.

It's a total waste of time where no one gains. Their footage looks rubbish and often the police are called who don't always no the rules either.

Maybe go and get a job where you're commissioned if you want a challenge?

And actually they may be doing things legally but they're not always flying safely.

I imagine you can carry out a citizen’s arrest on anyone who is committing an offence?

Not for a minor offence and not if a police officer can deal with it. Somebody being a minor nuisance is not grounds for trying to make a citizen's arrest.