On Thursday, the California Assembly passed the anti-paparazzi legislation amendment AB 2479, proposed by Assembly Speaker Karen Bass,  which would prevent surveillance at or near a person’s home.  The new amendment now requires approval of the State Senate, in order to become law.  There is a local news report of the development in the Sacramento Bee.

As we have reported before California has been active in seeking to restain the excessive paparazzi activity who is probably worse than the paparazzi activity that takes place  in London. New laws in California were introduced at beginning of the year.

There is a new US organisation called the PAPARAZZI Reform Initiative set up to highlight and draw attention the worst excesses of paparazzi. It includes extensive footage of paparazzi activity that would be plainly unlawful in the UK, in breach of the Protection From Harassment Act 1997. It has also proposed a code of conduct;

“Unless clearly for a newsworthy event, situation or happening:

No photos or video of children shall be printed or broadcast or displayed without the written consent of the parent.

No photos or video of any person clearly in distress or injured shall be printed or broadcast or displayed without the individual’s written consent.

No photos or video of individuals clearly participating in a private matter such as a vacation, exercise, eating, at school, at home, at a funeral, wedding or involved in a family activity shall be printed or broadcast or displayed without the written consent of the individuals involved.”

Whether deemed newsworthy or not, no photos or video shall be printed, broadcast or displayed, that when taken, clearly put the life or well being of the subject in danger or clearly caused him or her emotional distress.”

It seems doubtful whether the paparazzi activity shown by the PAPARAZZI Reform Initiative could be protected by the First Amendment in the US, but it is possible so that these laws may be subject to challenge in the US Federal Courts.