Dianne Feinstein: “today, along with the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Hatch, and Senators Boxer and Kerry, I am introducing…”

“today, along with the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Hatch, and Senators Boxer and Kerry, I am introducing the Personal Privacy Protection Act. This legislation narrowly targets threatening and endangering harassment and privacy abuses undertaken by the stalker press. Freedom of the press is the bedrock of American Democracy. But there is something wrong when a person cannot visit a loved one in the hospital, walk their child to school, or be secure in the privacy of their own home without being dangerously chased, provoked, or trespassed upon by photographers trying to capture pictures of them to sell to the tabloids. When people find themselves in the public eye due to a personal tragedy or circumstances beyond their control, they should not be put into personal fear of bodily injury by tabloid media persistently chasing them. And just because a person makes their living on television or in the movies should not mean they forfeit all rights to personal privacy. There is a line between legitimate news gathering and invasion of privacy; between snapping a picture of someone in a public place and chasing them to the point where they fear for their safety; between reporting the news and trespassing on private property. Unfortunately, today that line is crossed more and more frequently by an increasingly aggressive cadre of fortune-seekers with cameras.”