New American law could ban silent camera phones
If you have a modern, up to date cellphone, the chances are it has an in-built camera. What’s more, the chances are high that you disabled the sound it makes when you take a picture with it. Because it’s annoying. But you may not be able to do that anymore if a new law is passed in the U.S.
Camera phones have improved massively over the last few years. Once only capable of grainy shots and only to be used when a real digital camera wasn’t handy, many now have good levels of resolution, which can produce some very nice quality shots. Unfortunately, that has also lead to a bit of a trend for some people to use the camera phones to take seedy shots without the permission of the person being photographed. Apparently.
I must admit that I hadn’t heard of this until I read various reports today about a new law being proposed in the U.S. Perverts taking photos of women and children with their camera phones is apparently such a huge problem that legislation is needed to deal with it. I kid you not.
Crave reports how Representative Peter King of New York (Republican) has introduced a bill into the House of Representatives which proposes the banning of silent modes on camera phones. This would basically mean that the annoying click or fake shutter noise that most camera phones have couldn’t be turned off.
The idea is simple, as outlined in ‘The Camera Phone Predator Alert Act (H.R. 414)’. Force all cellphones with cameras to make a noise when a picture is taken and those perverts who craftily take voyeuristic photos would lose their sneaky advantage.
As I mentioned before, I was unaware that there was a problem of this nature until today, mainly because I’m not a pervert. And even now, I can’t see it being a huge problem, and certainly not one that needs legislating against.
Every day, I seem to hear of a new law being passed somewhere in the world that either defies logic or infringes on civil liberties. And this is definitely one in the former camp. Surely there are bigger issues to worry about than a few seedy snaps being taken by men in dirty raincoats?
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January 28th, 2009
What a stupid thing for lawmakers to waste their time and OUR MONEY on!
OBTW Dave, you already can’t disable the sound on Blackberry.
So, are we also going to require same of ALL digital photographic devices? And if not, why not? Okay to shoot a video clip surreptitiously, but not a still? Ridiculous.
January 28th, 2009
WHAT THE F***! WHY DON’T THEY JUST ARREST THE DAMN PERVERTS INSTEAD OF MAKING THIS STUPID A*S LAW?
With a law or without a law, those perverts are gonna get arrested anyways. Plus, whos gonna follow the law unless they make phones which you can’t turn the sound off. Even so, there are tons of older phones which can turn off the sound. I’ll bet you this law won’t pass.