A police department in the United States ceased its practice of using Lego heads to obscure suspect faces after Lego contacted the department, requesting they discontinue the use of its intellectual property. The Murrieta Police Department in southern California initiated this practice in response to a new state law that prohibits law enforcement agencies from disseminating suspect photos for nonviolent crimes without specific circumstances. Moreover, the law mandates the removal of suspect mugshots from social media platforms after 14 days, unless special conditions apply.
For several months, the Murrieta Police Department digitally superimposed Lego heads over the faces of suspects involved in purportedly non-violent crimes, posting these images online. However, Forbes reported that Lego Group recently contacted the police department, respectfully requesting that they refrain from using their intellectual property.
In compliance with the state’s privacy laws, the Murrieta police have ceased the use of Lego heads and are now exploring alternative methods for sharing content that remains engaging and captivating for their social media audience.
The focus on California Assembly Bill 994, which took effect on January 1 of the current year, highlights several provisions. Among these is the requirement for police departments to remove booking photos of suspects from social media platforms after a 14-day period, unless specific circumstances warrant otherwise. Additionally, the bill mandates that police departments utilize the pronouns and name provided by the suspect in any social media posts pertaining to the case.
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