Mugshots Shouldn't Be in the Public Record. Here's Why.

In a feature that ran this past weekend, The New York Times drew some much needed attention to a very ugly business: websites that trawl sheriff and police databases for mugshots, post those mugshots on their own sites, then charge arrestees to have their mugshots taken down. Since its inception the industry has grown to include scores of sites that will post your mugshot, as well as intercessory businesses that charge hefty fees—ranging from $195 to more than $800—to have your photo removed from one or more Internet locations. As Wired reported in 2011, the two business models are essentially complimentary, and the operators of each sometimes collude.

While some states have attempted to write laws prohibiting companies from profiting off mugshots, the Times notes that private corporations, after being contacted by the paper, are having a bigger impact on the business than legislators: