AP's News Editor Chris Cheesman probes the wider impact of Getty's decision to allow free use of its photographs online. Is the worldu2019s largest picture agency calling the shots?

The photographic community is still reeling from Getty Images’ decision to make more than 35 million images from its photo library free to use.

The web is awash in a sea of freely used images. More than 350 million are uploaded daily to Facebook alone. A recent report by IMGembed estimated that over 85% of images used online are used without permission.

Getty’s decision, which it said at the time was an attempt to provide a ‘a better alternative to stealing’, comes at a time that is already proving tough for freelance photographers, and is likely to get tougher still.

Amateur Photographer‘s News Editor Chris Cheesman has investigated the wider impact of Getty’s decision, speaking to ImageRights International, the British Press Photographers Association and others to try and gain an understanding of what this change means for photographers, both professional and amateur, and what the future holds.

Read the full investigation here, and watch the video interview below.