ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has proposed banning the public disclosure of "mugshots" and "booking information" compiled by law enforcement agencies when they make arrests.

The measure, included in Cuomo's 2020 executive budget, would declare that the release of a person's arrest photo or other booking information would constitute an "unwanted invasion of personal privacy."

The governor's office said the proposal was prompted by nefarious websites that often post someone's mugshot and then require that person to pay large fees, sometimes hundreds of dollars, to have it removed. The change would take place by amending 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 spokesman 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."

Advocates of the press and experts on public information laws contend the legislation is poorly crafted and that it could lead to arrest records being shielded from public disclosure, or left to the discretion of police agencies.

"It's not happy news that the governor wants to encourage secret arrests," said Diane Kennedy, president of the New York News Publishers Association. "Seems like an excellent way to ensure that the arrests of powerful, politically connected people remain secret. It also would allow arrests of suspected pedophiles and rapists to remain secret. That doesn't seem to serve the public very well."

The legislation would propose that the restrictions would not apply in instances where police release copies of a person's arrest photo if they are seeking the public's help, including searching for a fugitive.

Kennedy said it would be better for the state to ban websites from charging fees to someone who requests to have their photograph removed from the internet. She said the state attorney general's office also could be tasked with pursuing legal action against any companies that don't abide by the law.

It's estimated that tens of millions of people have been arrested and many face problems with employment, housing or even in their personal relationships when information about their criminal history is available through a simple online search.

"I am sympathetic if charges have been dismissed, and the truth is, with the internet these days you can’t erase what has been posted," said Robert J. Freeman, executive director of the state Committee on Open Government. "There are situations that have arisen where a person’s likeness is displayed following an arrest, but the arrest might be followed by a dismissal of charges and the records become sealed. But we can’t seal for the moment what has been up there in cyberspace."

Many law enforcement agencies routinely post mugshots and arrest information on their websites and also send the information to news agencies. But many agencies, including the State Police, are not sending information on all the arrests they make and may routinely, for instance, withhold information if they arrest a police officer.

In recent years, as non-traditional digital sites have gained prominence, the policies of many news organizations have changed, and their websites now often report on people arrested for misdemeanors or non-criminal violations. The details of the arrests, and copies of mugshots, are usually gleaned from the websites of police agencies, which routinely post the information.

Conwall, the spokesman for Cuomo, noted that the governor's plan mirrors policies in place in federal agencies, which generally only release mugshots if there is a need to do so.

"Our proposal follows the federal government's practice that has been upheld in court and in effect for years, which said there isn't a constitutional right to access such personal information from the government, and allows local law enforcement to make determinations," he said.