Hawaii Senate passes Steven Tyler Act that seeks to protect celebrities’ privacy

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Hawaii’s state Senate passed the so-called Steven Tyler Act on Tuesday, a bill that seeks to protect celebrities from overeager paparazzi by making it illegal for people to take unwanted photos or videos of others in their private moments.

The Aerosmith frontman asked Sen. Kalani English to sponsor the legislation after unwanted photos were taken of him and his girlfriend last December and published in a national magazine, causing family drama.

Tyler owns a multimillion dollar home in Maui, in English’s district. English said the proposal could help increase celebrity tourism in Hawaii.

Twenty-three of the state’s 25 Senate members voted in favour of the bill, which now goes to the House for consideration.

Besides Tyler, other celebrities have supported the bill, including Britney Spears, Mick Fleetwood and the Osborne family. They say intrusive paparazzi make it difficult to enjoy simple activities with family and friends.

But national media organizations worry about the proposal’s impact on freedom of the press. The National Press Photographers Association and the Society of Professional Journalists were some of several national media organizations that submitted testimony opposing the bill.

The Senate Judiciary Committee responded to criticism of the measure’s vague language by replacing the original version with the text of an existing California anti-paparazzi statute.