“This measure is not against people,” Tashkent authorities explain new rules for filming in markets

Earlier, reports emerged that visitors to Tashkent’s markets and shopping complexes would need to pay a fee for filming or taking photos for commercial purposes. The announcement sparked misunderstandings on social media. The Tashkent city administration has now clarified the new rules regarding photography and video recording in market areas.

Authorities emphasized that the new regulations do not apply to ordinary visitors.

“Taking photos of your purchases on your phone, snapping family pictures, or posting personal content to blogs or stories is free and fully permitted. Tourists, school students, university students, and accredited journalists are not subject to any restrictions. The rules apply only to commercial filming, meaning video recording intended to generate income or profit,” the city administration explained.

The administration also clarified who would be required to pay the fees.

“This applies to large bloggers and influencers who earn regularly from advertisements, integrations, and views, commercial studios and media production teams filming music videos, advertisements, documentaries, series, or films, and companies promoting their goods and services in market areas,” the statement said.

The administration noted that in major cities worldwide—from Istanbul to Paris—commercial filming incurs fees because it occupies space, disrupts pedestrian movement, inconveniences vendors and shoppers, and requires additional supervision, monitoring, and security measures.

“When professional crews arrive with tripods, lights, equipment, extras, and actors, this is not casual filming but a production process. This creates additional load on passageways, parking areas, market management responsible for order, vendors whose operations slow down due to cameras and filming teams, and the safety of visitors,” the statement added.

Authorities stressed that payments for commercial filming are official, transparent, and reinvested in infrastructure development.

The collected funds are allocated to:

•  Improving and beautifying market areas;
•  Maintaining sanitation and safety;
•  Upgrading pedestrian paths and crossings;
•  Supporting surveillance and lighting systems.

“There are no ‘personal gains’ or ‘pocket schemes’ involved, and there cannot be any,” the Tashkent city administration stated firmly.

The administration also noted that commercial filming has increased significantly in recent years, with bloggers and commercial channels using markets as revenue sources without covering the resulting burden, leading to complaints from vendors about disruptions to their activities.

“This measure is not against the public; rather, it is designed to protect the interests of shoppers, vendors, and market infrastructure. Ordinary visitors have nothing to fear from these changes. Fees apply only to those using markets as a source of income for commercial content,” the statement concluded.