In recent history paparazzi have become very aggressive, surrounding and stalking celebrities and becoming involved in dangerous high speed car chases. A paparazzi chase is said to have been a factor in the accident that killed Lady Diana and Dodi. Technology allows the images that the paparazzi capture to move much faster than before. Eva Longoria went swimming with a dog biscuit tucked into her suit, got a photo taken of her doing it, and when she went back to her towel, she found a message on her cell asking why she was wearing a dog biscuit. The pictures had moved that fast.

Not to mention the psychological impact of those Britney upskirt pictures – I like my gossip with my morning coffee, and I was truly not prepared for Britney’s crotch, that early in the morning.

So Dennis P. Zine, LA councilor, is going to help.

Last week, spurred by the aggressive paparazzi coverage of Spears, City Councilman Dennis Zine announced that he plans to push for an ordinance that would create a minimum “personal safety zone” around individuals targeted by the media.

Saying he didn’t “want a repeat of what happened to Princess Diana with a celebrity in Los Angeles,” Zine said he plans to introduce a motion that calls for the city attorney and LAPD to draft new restrictions on paparazzi, including an ordinance that would create a zone of clear space in order to protect public safety on streets, sidewalks and at access points to emergency care facilities and private businesses and homes.

Police Chief William J. Bratton, however, said existing laws are sufficient for his officers to deal with the paparazzi

Fox

It is of course against the law to break the speed limit, trespass on private property and take pictures up someone’s skirt without their consent. In some countries paps actually need the permission of their subject to release the photos, but this doesn’t matter as they just sell the pictures to overseas agents.

I don’t think new laws need to be created, but maybe better enforcement of the ones already established. I see that this would protect all people in the media, and I hope this includes people who have been the victim of a tragedy. Families of murder victims, for example, are often approached by media to make a statement, sometimes before they have even been informed of the death by police. Hopefully the law will apply to them as they have no representative or security to act as a buffer between them and the media.

Of course, I’m to sure where Britney and her house party invites, gas pump assisting and sexual relationships with paparazzi fit in with all this. Maybe she’ll have to go back to dating pop stars and attending a-list parties. Oh, those were the days!

Picture note by Celebitchy: Britney Spears is shown on 1/29/08 after she drove around for an hour, got lost, then got out and asked the paparazzi to help her get home. I guess she never thought to purchase a GPS with one of her new high-end cars. It’s not like she’ll ever need one if she’s followed by so many other people. Thanks to WENN for this image.