Civil Liberties

Hawaii Mulls Celebrity Privacy Protection Law

Free press concerns abound

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The Hawaii state Senate plans to vote Tuesday on the so-called Steven Tyler Act, a bill aimed at protecting celebrities and other public figures from unwanted media attention by creating a civil violation for people who take photos or videos of others' private moments.

The Aerosmith lead singer from Massachusetts asked Sen. Kalani English to sponsor the bill after photos of Tyler and his girlfriend made news in December, causing family drama.

Tyler owns a multimillion dollar home in Maui, part of English's district. English said the bill, which was co-sponsored by more than two-thirds of the Senate, could help increase celebrity tourism in Hawaii.