The administration of the Governor of new York warned journalists about the legislative initiative on amendments to the state law on freedom of information. Governor Cuomo intends to 2020 to prohibit the publication of photos or other information on persons suspected by law enforcement agencies of crimes, including detainees.
In the state of new York may limit the dissemination of information about arrests and arrestees
As explained by the representative of the administration, this is done in order to protect the right to privacy of those who are not subsequently convicted in court and will not be condemned. The presence in the network of photos with a criminal context prevent these people to continue to look for a job, destroy their privacy and harm their relatives. Moreover, the Governor believes that the placement of such photos creates the ground for extortion, when people have to pay to have the photo removed.
Protection measures proposed by the governors will not affect those who are hiding from the investigation. The police still retain the right to publish photos of wanted individuals suspected of crimes, to accelerate their search. Criticism of this proposal was already made by some media, noting that it restricts the freedom of speech as a basic value.
«Not happy with what the Governor wants to promote secret arrests, said Times Union Diana Kennedy, President of the new York Association of publishers of news. — This sounds like a great way to arrests of powerful politically connected people remained secret. It would also allow the arrests of suspected pedophiles and rapists to remain a secret. I think it is not very well serves the public.»
Human rights activists also remind that sometimes the information about the arrest provided protection for the arrested person from the possible arbitrariness of the police. «Secret arrests» can destroy the possibility of protection of the arrested.
