FC: U.S. senator plans to make secret videotaping a federal crime

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

[Clearly state legislators cannot be trusted to recognize the dread menace 
of surreptitious videotaping and take appropriate measures themselves. 
Naturally existing laws, such as trespass and harassment are entirely 
insufficient to address this clear and present danger, as a multitude of 
court cases has shown us. Of course encouraging the FBI to spend more time 
prosecuting voyeurs and less time investigating terrorists is a wise idea. 
--Declan]

---

http://www.senate.gov/~landrieu/releases/02/2002417521.html

   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
   April 16, 2002

          Landrieu: New Bill Makes Video Voyeurism A Federal Crime
                Louisiana Story Leads To Federal Legislation

   (WASHINGTON DC) Under a new bill introduced today by Senator Mary
   Landrieu(D-La.), secretly videotaping a person in intimate situations
   without their consent would become a federal crime. The bill was
   inspired by a woman in Louisiana who discovered after she was secretly
   taped that there was no law against such an act. Mirrored after
   Louisiana's new law, the Landrieu legislation would make "video
   voyeurism" a crime punishable by up to three years in prison in case
   of adult victims, and up to ten years in prison when a child is
   involved.

   "In the privacy of our own homes, none of us should have to wonder
   whether or not we're being secretly watched-- and even recorded," said
   Senator Landrieu. "Unfortunately, our laws haven't kept up with the
   new technology that makes this kind of invasion of privacy very easy
   to accomplish. This act of "video voyeurism" is not addressed by our
   federal legal system and in most states, it's not even a crime. The
   legislation I am introducing today helps fill this gaping hole in our
   privacy laws, so that if someone is secretly watching you, under this
   bill it will be a crime punishable by law."

   The legislation was unveiled at a press conference where Senator
   Landrieu was joined by Monroe, Louisiana activist Susan Wilson, whose
   story inspired the bill, Actor Angie Harmon, who played Susan in the
   Lifetime Original Movie "Video Voyeur," and two New Orleans natives,
   Executive Producer Blue Andre, and Mary Dixon, Lifetime's Vice
   President of Public Affairs.

   "I'm so grateful to Senator Landrieu and Lifetime Television for their
   commitment to this issue," said Susan Wilson. "This bill will help
   provide victims and their families with much-needed protection and
   ensure some accountability for those who violate the privacy of
   others."

   "Susan Wilson had to learn the hard way that a high-tech invasion of
   privacy wasn't against the law in Louisiana-- or any other state,"
   said Senator Landrieu. "She's fought to make changes in Louisiana's
   laws so that victims in Louisiana can pursue a legal remedy. But there
   shouldn't have to be a Susan Wilson in every state in order for people
   to be protected from this kind of horrifying event. I hope this
   legislation will act as a deterrent-- but if it doesn't, at least
   victims will have the strength of federal law behind them."

   The new bill, entitled the "Family Privacy and Protection Act," would
   create two new federal crimes of video voyeurism, one dealing with
   adults and one dealing with minors. Under the bill, any person who
   uses a camera or similar recording device to record another individual
   either for a lewd or lascivious purpose without that person's consent
   is in violation of the law. The penalty for violation is a fine and/or
   imprisonment of up to three years, or ten years in the case of a
   minor.

   In addition, the bill would set up an Internet domain (such as .prn)
   for material harmful to minors and requires all websites containing
   such material to register on that domain name. Any websites currently
   on other domains (such as .com, .org, etc.) would be required to close
   down those sites and move to the new domain.
     _________________________________________________________________




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