Right to Privacy and Mugshots
Public Comments (124)
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Oct 26th, 2014Someone from Punta Gorda, FL writes:
Back in 2010 me and my brother were both arrested for domestic violence. We've had the arrest expunged since but sites like mugshots.com want to charge us 400$ to get our mugshots off even though they are not in the state database anymore. My brother wants to go to med school and he says it will affect his chances and I am going for my masters in anthropology. I refuse to pay these websites because they are extorting me as a criminal and they even put my Facebook and other sites by my mugshot and saying details about my life like school -
Oct 21st, 2014Someone from Garland, TX signed.
Oct 21st, 2014Someone from Royse City, TX writes:
I was arrested, but never charged with any crime. I am being told that if I do not pay $399 to have my mugshot removed from mugshots.com then they will continue to leave it there even though I was never charged! This is extortion! Its an invasion of privacy, and it IS affecting my life. Something has to be done!!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelSep 20th, 2014Someone from Naples, FL signed.
Aug 28th, 2014Someone from Naples, FL writes:
My charges were dropped and sealed however these websites can make money from posting your mugshot even if you were never found guilty? Please stop these companies from making money on the information that should be held only through clerk of court. You pay all these fees to seal charges that were dropped, the clerk of court removes the information however these websites continue to make millions. It's not right and should be stopped.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelAug 28th, 2014Someone from Chicago, IL writes:
This does not support Innocent until proven guilty. Please stop these scam artists from extorting money from people who have not even had their cases heard by a judge. This is preventing people from becoming productive members of society, since it prevents many from obtaining a job.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelAug 12th, 2014Someone from Lake Worth, FL signed.
Jul 24th, 2014Someone from Garland, TX writes:
Sites like bustedmugshots are actively engaging in illegal activity and posing as something they are not. If you go and look at bustedmugshots.com they've changed their page to not accept money ( because doing so is illegal and clearly extortion ) They then claim that google recommends a removal service which they no doubt have some kind of arrangement with to remove records for a fee. The guy who started busted mugshots is a felon himself.. But his record isn't on the front page. They claim they offer a service to let people know who they're dealing with. How many people who would use such a service would do so if they knew it was owned and operated by a felon? Keep reporting them. Keep sending feedback to search engine providers to let them know they have and continue to aid criminals in profiting off of other people.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJul 15th, 2014Someone from Milton, FL writes:
It sucks that after being proven innocent, paying money to make that happen through numerous outlets... I can't get a job because I don't have more money to pay to get these mugshots down. I've paid $4,000 and am still jobless and humiliated.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJul 5th, 2014Someone from Cape Coral, FL signed.
Jun 22nd, 2014Someone from Tallahassee, FL signed.
Jun 13th, 2014Someone from Orlando, FL writes:
It's the price you pay t live in a free country, don't like it then don't break the lawREPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 11th, 2014Someone from Minneapolis, MN signed.
Jun 8th, 2014Someone from Hialeah, FL signed.
Apr 30th, 2014Someone from Mansfield, TX writes:
I see a real conflict of interest for mugshots to use government information for the use of a crime. I see even more of a problem that government is aware that they information they provide is being used in a crime and still provide that information and indirectly support the crime. We are talking about many things from stalking, obstruction (long story believe it or not..) extortion, blackmail etc. Its time to be responsible and put an end to this or put an end to publishing mugshots.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelMar 24th, 2014Someone from Broken Arrow, OK signed.
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No, CancelFeb 21st, 2014Someone from Jackson Heights, NY signed.
Jan 30th, 2014Someone from Pensacola, FL writes:
All mugshot websites do is cyberstalk people into giving them money.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJan 25th, 2014Someone from Atlanta, GA signed.
Jan 6th, 2014Someone from San Francisco, CA writes:
I am an individual who had a few run in with the law 15-20 years ago. During that time, I paid my debt to society and I turned my life around. I have been clean and sober almost 15 years. Now I am faced with my mugshots being posted online to ruin my right to live a life free from blackmail, extortion and infringement. Please change the law so that I can live a normal life as a productive, meaningful citizen. This is unlawful and has to be stopped immediately.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJan 2nd, 2014Someone from Hollywood, FL signed.
Jan 2nd, 2014Someone from Delray Beach, FL writes:
I have an arrest record, for which I paid dearly financially and reputation wise. I am an RN who can not get a job since these records remain in the google searches as a result. Even though the adjudication was with held I continue to pay for my mistate over and over and over again. this type of publicity prevents any person from moving ahead and being a productive member of this society. It is equivalent of being a convicted felon, no body in a business or medical world be give me a chance. I deserve another chance so is anyone else who is damaged by these mugshots publicity.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 9th, 2013Someone from Fort Pierce, FL writes:
Do you expect your Christmas gifts will be returned or exchanged? Yes No Maybe Please select an option Special Characters are not allowed. Vote The results of this poll can be shared with third parties for market analysis. ****ed Consumer will not disclose any personal information unless required to do so by law or when a release of such information has been expressly authorized by the user. For more information please see our Privacy Policy. ..BustedMugshots - Extortion, ignorance and preying on misfortune by urandyb Feb 04 2 comments Review #: 381683 Company BustedMugshots Product / Service Social Media Scam Location Fort Pierce, Florida Category Online Shopping Views 10 Monetary Loss $50000 Bad enough you get arrested, charged and embarrassed for doing something foolish.Here comes bustedmugshots.com taking yet another ding in your already strained capital like probation and courts. The disingenuous and money grubbin pariah post your arrest on the internet. So, you pay and wait for the removal. Guess what? Even after you pay the buffoons cannot find a copy of the receipt sent from their company??!! So, not only does bustedmugshots suck for the tomfoolery. Bustedmugshots cannot account or reconcile records! We, as a society allow this behavior. For BustedMugShots.com to post your picture with a company that cannot even find a payment.May God have mercy on them.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 8th, 2013Someone from Panama City, FL signed.
Nov 19th, 2013Someone from Fort Myers, FL signed.
Nov 17th, 2013Someone from Fort Myers, FL signed.
Oct 14th, 2013Someone from West Palm Beach, FL writes:
Currently the FBI is being flooded with complaints about websites that extort money. I believe in freedom of speech and keep the public informed. I do not believe that if charges were dropped or found not guilty that people can punish you in getting work. PLEASE PASS THE LAW IN FLORIDA as it has in other states. DUI's are common and often times probable cause has not been established and police revenue is the real motivator.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelSep 9th, 2013Someone from Prairie Village, KS signed.
Aug 28th, 2013Someone from Raleigh, NC signed.
Aug 22nd, 2013Someone from Rockledge, FL writes:
Detrimental to the lives of young people, disproportionately to those with learning disabilities.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelAug 22nd, 2013Someone from Rockledge, FL writes:
Detrimental to the lives of young people, disproportionately to those with learning disabilities.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJul 28th, 2013Someone from Arlington Heights, IL signed.
Jun 18th, 2013Someone from Broken Arrow, OK writes:
Mugshots For Profit When somebody gets arrested, the police take a booking photograph, commonly known as a mugshot. This photo isn?t proof of guilt; it is standard police procedure during the booking process and only means that one officer felt there were grounds to make an arrest. In many states, these photos are public record and published on the website of the local police department. Posting them online is part of transparent government and is a generally accepted practice that balances the shame of the person who has been arrested with the community?s ?right to know,? not to mention providing witnesses or other victims the opportunity to come forward. This reasonable balance has been disrupted by what feels like a growing extortion racket powered by search results. Mugshot sites scrape content from police sites, search optimize, and monetize. Some mugshots sites brazenly offer to remove listings upon payment of an ?administrative? fee of $79 to over $250 per site. Others have cut deals with mugshot removal services to collect a share of the mugshot removal fee. One un-publishing service charges $399 to $1479 according to its pricelist. My experience was that as soon as I paid to remove the mugshot from one site, like the hydra?s head, it popped up on several other sites. The Google Connection How does Google fit into all of this? Google conveniently provided a one stop shop that had everything the mugshot entrepreneur needs to monetize his scraper sites. Google?s facilities included a fresh stream of victims via search results and paid advertising, credit card processing via Google Checkout and revenue from AdSense. As Wired wrote about the mugshot business in 2011: Wiggen said he wasn?t setting out to shame or embarrass anyone: From his point of view, he?s getting free content, then monetizing it with Google AdSense banners hawking defense lawyers and bail bondsmen. But the end result is that mug shots that were once hidden behind police CGI search scripts now display in Google searches, often prominently. In 2012 it appears that Google quietly expelled a bunch of mugshot sites from AdSense. Much of that AdSense revenue came from ads for those mugshot removal services that are in bed with the mugshot publishers. Ways Google Could Take Action The first amendment protects the rights of publishers to report information obtained from legitimate sources, such as police websites that host mugshots. However, when publishers ask for money, either directly, or indirectly, in exchange for removing embarrassing material, that?s extortion in my view. If the law doesn?t consider this activity to be extortion, the law needs to be fixed. And even if the law can?t be fixed, Google can create its own policies that would help. Mugshots could easily be reigned in under existing policies regarding duplicate content, thin content sites, and scraper sites. Google (and Bing) claim not to want search results that include multiREPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelMar 24th, 2013Someone from Berkley, MI signed.
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