Anywhere US Senate candidate Barack Obama went, he was followed by Justin Warfel, a videographer hired by his rival, Jack Ryan, to record his public statements and check whether the Democrat’s message on issues remained consistent.

Some people in Chicago were outraged by what they considered a video stalking. So last week, powerful Alderman Edward M. Burke proposed to enforce a 20-foot “zone of personal privacy” for city residents, a sort of bubble around people to protect them against unwanted pictures or secret audiotapes.

Under the proposed ordinance, anyone other than law enforcement or media found to be violating the rule would face a fine up to $500.

Under a city ordinance passed earlier this year, it is already illegal to use a camera device — including video, still and camera phones — in areas where people can have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as restrooms, locker rooms, or lactation rooms.

More in Boston Globe, via Reiter’s Camera Phone Report.