Right to Privacy and Mugshots
Mugshots are public record, but they should not be allowed to be made available on social media sites or for commercial purposes
Right to Privacy laws protect its citizens from the exploitation of their images, however because mugshots are public domain, these images are being used in social media, by both individuals and law enforcement. Comments are left on these sites that are degrading to the individuals. Possible employers who do searches are finding records that have been expunged. Lives are being interrupted and haunted by the past. Legitimate companies are charging hundreds to thousands of dollars to remove, or hide, these images on the internet, thereby commercializing these photos, without the consent of the individual in the photo. Not only is this unethical, but should be illegal according to the Right to Privacy laws. Since social media is relatively new, and because mug shots are public domain, this law needs to be enumerated specifically to prevent this from happening.
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