November 16, 2004
Camera phone clampdown demanded
ZDNet UK reports there is growing pressure on manufacturers to introduce safeguards to stop camera phones being used to take intrusive snaps.
"Industry bodies and activists are calling for tighter curbs on camera phones, claiming that the devices pose a serious threat to civil liberties.
Privacy International (PI) warned on Tuesday that it has seen a steep rise in the number of complaints from members of the public who say that camera phones have been used to take private and intrusive images without consent.
PI is calling on manufacturers to change the design of future camera phones so that they flash every time a picture is taken.
"The ability to covertly capture images and then instantly transmit those images removes any safeguard for the victim," warned Simon Davies, PI director.
"Phone companies have a legal and a moral responsibility to fix these problems. This is not an attack on the technology. It is a call to make the technology safe," Davies added.
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