

Thoughts on the Online Extortion Business of Mugshots - noahrsg
http://blog.safeshepherd.com/143/online-mugshot-extortion-is-its-own-crime/

======
majorlazer
I was arrested earlier this year for trespassing into an abandoned area, it
was a group of about 10 of us just exploring and trying to get some pictures.
Normally, the cops would just let you off with a warning, but the security
patrolling this area wanted everybody taken in. It was a very annoying
experience and really was a waste of tax-payer money. But once we were
released ~7 hours later, we didn't really think much of the arrest (rightfully
so, the judge laughed at the case when we went to court).

Now, the worst part of the whole experience was when we found our mugshots
plastered all over search results for our names. The results rank pretty high
in some cases too, higher than some social media sites. The problem with this
whole situation lies in two places in my opinion, one being the fact that your
mugshot is posted online right when you get arrested, whether or not you are
convicted. And two, that there aren't any restrictions put in place by the
government sites that release these pictures. I am all for net neutrality, but
this is most definitely an invasion of privacy.

And there are so many of these mugshot sites that you will never be able to
completely remove your face from every single one of them. And I wouldn't be
surprised if the same asshole owns a majority of these sites and puts your
mugshot on a different site as soon as you pay to get it taken off another.

------
grecy
I'm surprised there are not more sites like mugshots.com. Moral considerations
aside, it seems like a sure fire money winner.

I wonder how many states/countries make arrest records & mugshots available
publicly online?

For every arrest/mug shot, do some basic SEO stuff with the person's name,
city and state to have the best chance of hitting the first page of Google,
and charge people $50 to get it removed.

I've never been arrested, but if I was (even if in error), I'd sure as hell
pay $50 to get my mugshot off the front page of a Google search.

~~~
noahrsg
Thanks for the feedback. It is a sure fire money maker "moral considerations
aside" but I think thats the point...I have moral considerations and hence why
I am calling this site out for being so slimy.

~~~
grecy
I have to wonder what "moral considerations aside" even means.

In the US, at least, if something is not illegal and will make money, then
corporations are legally required to take that path - morals and ethics simply
don't come into play.

As our ever increasing need for profit increases, I can only see this trend
continuing more and more. The reality is if I'm not willing to make such a
site on "moral" grounds, someone else will, and they'll get all the money for
doing it.

~~~
hollerith
>In the US, at least, if something is not illegal and will make money, then
corporations are legally required to take that path

Although this assertion gets repeated over and over on the internet, I think
it is a _gross distortion_ of American laws on the fiduciary responsibilities
of corporate officers to say that corporations are legally required _not_ to
have moral standards that have not been codified as laws or governmental
regulations.

Google for example cited ethical reasons for pulling out of the Chinese
market. Did any of Google's shareholders sue Google over that decision?

Did any shareholders sue Apple over their recent decision to tighten up its
oversight of its Chinese manufacturer's treatment of factory workers?

~~~
drewrv
> Did any shareholders sue Apple over their recent decision to tighten up its
> oversight of its Chinese manufacturer's treatment of factory workers?

Bad publicity has the potential to hurt profits.

