Celebrities Clip Wings Of Paparazzi Drones

A new law has been passed in California to prevent the paparazzi using drones to invade the privacy of celebrities.

The legislation follows stars like Miley Cyrus posting videos of drones circling over their homes and is the latest battle in the age-old war between celebrities and the celebrity media machine.

The paparazzi bill was signed into law by the state's Governor Jerry Brown and should protect the privacy of anyone from drone-mounted cameras.

Sean Burke, a former celebrity bodyguard who now runs the Paparazzi Reform Initiative, said: "You start photographing someone in their backyard, that's privacy concern and I think a privacy concern for everyone."

And the situation in public areas remains unclear.

"You're walking down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, packed with paparazzi, why wouldn't there be 30 drones over them?"

And how easy is it to enforce new laws in the face of the increasingly competitive and lucrative paparazzi industry?

Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner fought for a new law banning paparazzi from approaching any celebrity who was with their child.

But fellow actor Drew Barrymore told Sky News that the legislation had had little impact.

She said: "My husband and I for three months have been saying (to photographers), 'You can't do that, it is against the law.' And they say, 'No it is not'. You go home and read the law and it is not.

"I would really commend the people who have fought for the law putting in place protection for our children, they have my deepest respect but I want it to go further."

Legitimate news organisations have also criticised the law as being a restriction on First Amendment rights.

Ruth Hilton, chief executive of LA's Hilton Media Group, told Sky News: "I suppose there's a situation that could come up where a politician has done something absolutely terrible and simply by having a child with them, no footage could be taken of them, no interviews, would that be in the interest of the general public?"

The recent hacking, theft and sharing of private photos of stars like Jennifer Lawrence has added a new sinister element to the trade-off between what stars want the world to see and what they don't - and how technology has changed the game.

Burke told Sky News the aggressive nature of today's paparazzi - and the prospect of big rewards - made it especially dangerous.

He said: "I have been in car chases with the paparazzi when the celebrity's car rolls through a green light, which then turns red, the seven cars behind run the red light, they don't care who is in their way.

"It is really a miracle that no one else has been killed since Princess Diana.

"There have been accidents and near misses.

"Most people in Hollywood that I speak to believe that nothing is really going to change until that next person is killed."