[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 117 (Friday, September 24, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1699-E1700]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 VIDEO VOYEURISM PREVENTION ACT OF 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CHARLES A. GONZALEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 21, 2004

  Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I wish to express my strong support for 
passage of S. 1301, the Video Voyeurism Prevention Act. I wish to thank 
Chairman Oxley, Senator DeWine, Senator Schumer, as well as Chairman 
Sensenbrenner and Ranking Member Conyers for their work on this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, unfortunately video voyeurism has become a rapidly 
growing national problem. With the development of the Internet and 
miniature camera technology, anybody can now readily invade the privacy 
of another by secretly videotaping or photographing others and putting 
those compromising images on the Internet. We all regularly see pop up 
advertisements on the Internet for new miniature camera technology. 
Undoubtedly this technology is being used by many ``Peeping Toms'' to 
spy on others. It is time that Congress takes a stand against the 
growing misuse of these new technologies.
  S. 1301, the Video Voyeurism Act makes it illegal for anyone on 
federal property to capture an improper image of another under 
circumstances that clearly violates the privacy of that individual. It 
is my hope that this legislation will spur individual states to follow 
suit and update their criminal codes to ensure that their citizens are 
similarly protected from video voyeurism in areas under state 
jurisdiction.

[[Page E1700]]

  Mr. Speaker, every American has a fundamental right to privacy that 
should be protected from intentional, unwanted incursion. S. 1301, the 
Video Voyeurism Prevention Act takes an important step towards updating 
our nation's privacy protections for a new generation of video and 
camera technology. I support passage of this legislation.

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