Publishing photos of rule-breakers online violates their right to privacy

SINCE LAST WEEK, police in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, have been using high-definition cameras to take photos of jaywalkers. But they not only fined three people for jaywalking, they also published their photos online. That move might violate the legal rights of the rule-breakers, said a Thursday comment in Beijing News:

Everybody dislikes jaywalkers because they threaten the life and safety of not only themselves but also other people who abide by the law. Those walking across the street amid red traffic lights deserve legal penalties such as fines.

But the penalties they receive must be strictly according to the law. Of course, the police have the power to take photos of them and use the photos as electronic evidence. That's legal.