The solution to this is really simple. Photography is never illegal. It literally infuriates me every time I enter the midtown tunnel in NYC to see the "PHOTOGRAPHY PROHIBITED" signs at the entrance[0]. No, it fucking isn't.
Don't put it in public if you don't want people taking pictures of it. We use that argument for Street View, for aerial photographs, for countless other things. There should never be reason to harass people for photography, regardless of what Tom Clancy told you in his latest novel.
Indeed! I got dragged to the police station once by a guy cause I took a picture of his front door. He even tried to force me in to his car. Instead I walked to the cops with the guy driving next to me. He explained the problem and the cops told him to leave me alone.
The problem is that at least in the US there is a prevalence of "public access" places that are technically "private property" and enforce bans on photography as such, including public transport stations in some cities.
>Photography is never illegal.
Well that isn't true. Whilst there may well be several public places where photography is not inherently illegal (doesn't mean that there won't be other laws that apply to the particular photos you are taking) and yet a sign prohibiting it exists there are also several places (private property etc.) where such restrictions can be imposed.
Don't put it in public if you don't want people taking pictures of it. We use that argument for Street View, for aerial photographs, for countless other things. There should never be reason to harass people for photography, regardless of what Tom Clancy told you in his latest novel.
[0]: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.745975,-73.974759,3a,75y,86....
(The irony of being able to link to a publicly-accessible image of the "STRICTLY ENFORCED" no photography sign is not lost on me.)