January 31, 2005
Australia. Crackdown on camera phones
Moco News reports that Australian officials are considering new regulations for cameras - both in mobiles and on their own - following strong concerns of breaches of privacy.
"The attorneys-general had asked for options to deal with mobile phone cameras, and these would be considered at a meeting in March.
"The question is whether photographs taken in public without the knowledge or consent of the subject are taken in a way that is compromising or offensive."
The state Government was considering making it an offence to take photographs "for an improper or offensive purpose".
[...] But media outlets had "worked themselves into a lather" over the Brisbane website that published photographs of clothed children, when police found no evidence of any offence.
The producer of the website, Paul Bartram, said the photographs had no sexual connotations, and he had taken them solely because he found children artistically appealing. "
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