Brendan J. Lyons in the Albany Times Union reports that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing stopping the public disclosure of "mugshots" and "booking information" from law enforcement agencies when suspects are arrested. The regulation is tucked into his 2020 executive budget, declaring the release of such public information would constitute an "unwanted invasion of personal privacy." A spokesperson for the governor said that blocking the public information paid for by tax dollars was not to diffuse transparency, but to protect personal privacy. The governor's office said there are websites that post a person's mugshot and then demand large fees, sometimes hundreds of dollars, to have the photos removed. So to stop these companies from harvesting public information for embarrassment-for-profit websites, the governor would amend the state's Freedom of Information Law. "The intent of our proposal is to help curtail an unethical practice that amounts to extortion of formerly incarcerated individuals," said Jason Conwall, a spokesperson for Cuomo. "Passing legislation that prohibits websites from charging fees for removing photos has been tried by 15 other states and is not working - mugshots keep popping up online." Read the full story in the Albany Times Union.