Add granular media permissions: allow users to upload but only view their own files

[ermoi]

Description

Currently, media permissions are all-or-nothing. If a user has get and manage permissions for media, they can see all media files uploaded by any user. There's no way to restrict users to only see their own uploaded files.

Current Behavior

Media permissions work as:

• get: User can view ALL media files
• manage: User can upload/delete ALL media files

There's no middle ground for users who should be able to upload media but only access their own files.

Proposed Behavior

Add a new permission level or scope for media:

• manage:own or manage:self: User can upload media and manage only their own uploads
• get:own or get:self: User can only view media they have uploaded

Permission Structure Proposal

Media Permissions:
[ ] get:all       - View all media files
[ ] get:own       - View only own uploaded files
[ ] manage:all    - Upload/delete all media files  
[ ] manage:own    - Upload/delete only own media files

OR with simpler structure:

Media Permissions:
[ ] View all media
[ ] View only own media
[ ] Manage all media
[ ] Manage only own media

Use Cases

This would enable scenarios like:

Marketing Team Collaboration:

• Designer A uploads campaign images
• Designer B uploads newsletter graphics
• Each designer only sees their own files
• Marketing Manager sees all media (has get:all)

Multi-tenant Usage:

• Different departments share one listmonk instance
• HR uploads company policy documents
• Sales uploads product sheets
• Each team only accesses their own media

Security & Privacy:

• Prevent users from accessing/deleting other users' files
• Audit trail: who uploaded what
• Reduce accidental deletion of others' work

Implementation Suggestions

Database Level

• Add uploaded_by field to media table
• Track user ID on upload
• Filter queries based on user permissions and ownership

API Level

GET /api/media
- If user has "get:all" → return all files
- If user has "get:own" → return WHERE uploaded_by = current_user_id

UI Level

• Show ownership indicator (uploaded by username/date)
• Filter media library based on permissions
• Display "Your uploads" vs "All uploads" toggle for admins

Benefits

• Improved security: Users can't accidentally see/delete others' work
• Better multi-user support: Essential for teams
• Compliance: Easier to implement data separation requirements
• Accountability: Clear ownership of uploaded content

Impact

Priority: Medium-High

This feature is important for:

• Teams with multiple content creators
• Organizations with data separation requirements
• Preventing accidental media deletion
• Professional/enterprise usage scenarios

Version

• listmonk version: 6.x.x

Additional Context

This follows the principle of least privilege where users should only have access to resources they need. Current media permissions don't support this principle.

Many modern CMSs and DAMs (Digital Asset Management) systems implement this pattern:

• WordPress: Media library filtered by author
• Drupal: File ownership tracking
• SharePoint: Document ownership

Backward Compatibility

Implementation should maintain backward compatibility:

• Existing users with manage permission could default to manage:all
• New installations could use the granular permission structure
• Migration path for existing media (assign to admin or leave unowned)