Japan iPhone to make shutter sound when taking a picture

According to reporter Nobuyuki Hayashi via Gizmodo, "the camera of the iPhone 3G sold in Japan will make a shutter sound every time you take a photo, even if you put the telephone in silent mode. The reason: all those pervs taking photos up the skirts of unsuspected women in public places.

This issue came up as soon as cameraphones became popular in 2003, Click here for links to articles from around the world that address the issue or suggest legislation-

You Can Picture This. Know your rights

“Give me a good reason why you’re filming around.”

BakelBlog via CrunchGear discusses some of the filming restrictions proposed in the UK and the resulting reactions of “community support officers” when folks try to film in public streets.

"The same issues are cropping up here in the U.S. and just to recap regarding U.S. law: you can film in a public place but not in a private place. You have no expectation of privacy in most public places, although you can have an expectation that you won’t suffer privacy invasion (i.e. someone won’t take upskirts of you on the bus).

There aren’t many exceptions to this law but private locations, including building frontages, are sometimes considered private property."

Related: - Street photographers fear for their art amid climate of suspicion

Mobile ban for Singapore toilet Peeping Tom

A Singapore student has been banned from owning a camera phone for a year after he was found guilty of secretly filming a woman in an airport toilet, the Straits Times reported on Tuesday.

[via Reuters Africa]

Josef Fritzl family: hospital ban after worker tried to sell camphone pics

Medical staff involved in the care of the family of Josef Fritzl have been banned from carrying mobile phones and cameras, reports The Telegraph, after a hospital employee was accused of trying to sell a picture of the incest victims for 300,000 euros.

"The management of the Amstetten-Mauer psychiatric hospital, where the family are being treated, has sent a circular letter to all employees threatening sacking and legal action against anyone who leaks information or photographs of the Fritzls."

Students Traded Nude Photos Over Cell Phones

According to a Fox news report, police are questioning a group of teenagers accused of trading nude pictures over cell phones.

"Farmington Police Lt. Shane Whitaker says six or so Farmington Junior High School students took pictures of themselves and then shared the naked images.

A parent of one of the kids found the pictures on their child's cell phone and called police. Detectives say the 13- and 14-year-old boys and girls questioned said they took the pictures as a joke, but it's potentially a crime."

Kelly court photos lands woman in jail

A woman who snapped photos of US songwriter and pop singer R. Kelly in a courtroom with her cell phone has pleaded guilty to contempt of court after spending the weekend in jail. The AP reports.

"Jean Johnson, 49, was sentenced to five days in jail after entering the plea Monday, but she was released after Judge Vincent Gaughan gave her credit for the days she had already spent in custody. He also ordered her cell phone destroyed.

Describing herself as Kelly's "biggest fan," Johnson said she couldn't resist snapping four grainy pictures of the R&B superstar as he sat across from her last Thursday.

She said she didn't realize cameras weren't allowed in courtrooms."

Laure Manaudou nude cameraphone pictures

French swim champ and darling of the press Laure Manaudou is at the centre of a nude picture controversy, according to Radar Online.

Her Italian swimmer former boyfriend Luca Marin is accused of posting video and pictures of Manaudou - Olympic and world 400m world champion - presumably taken with a cameraphone.

The pair had a spat at the European short course swimming championships in Hungary at the weekend."

Cameraphone misuse and indecency

One of the most appalling stories I've ever read on indecency and the misuse of cameraphones. [via The Daily Times Salisbury]

"Beth Bounds lost a son in a devastating crash Aug. 5 on the Chincoteague Causeway.

But months later, photographs of the tangled wreckage of vehicles survive in the camera phones of local students -- and continue to be forwarded to students, recent graduates and others.

Some of the photos even show her deceased son, 11-year-old Brendan Chance Holston, in the wreckage as he waited for medical help.

The photos are among the continuing insults that Bounds, and especially her ninth-grade daughter, Elyssa Bounds, are experiencing in the wake of the crash, which injured 10 other people.

Classmaates accused her of enjoying a "death limelight" and began to spread jealous rumors about her in the wake of her brother's death.

Waves of the photos were circulated to caller groups immediately after the crash, and recently have begun again in an bizarre electronic testament to morbid curiosity."

Sophomore suspended for posting photos taken in classroom sues district

A high school sophomore who was suspended for taking photos of his teacher during class and posting the pictures online from home, lost the first round of his lawsuit against the school district Dec. 11, when a federal judge refused to lift the student's suspension early. [via Students Press Law Center]

"The student took the photos with his digital camera Nov. 20, during his Language Arts class. The pictures show teacher Jessica Hauser at her desk, looking over paperwork and talking with other students. Hauser did not notice the pictures being taken, but in some of the seven pictures, students smile or give a thumbs-up to the camera. Later, Glover used his home computer to post the pictures to his Facebook profile."

Surgeon takes camphone picture of patient's penis

A doctor is facing disciplinary action after taking a picture of a patient's penis during his gallbladder surgery at a hospital in Phoenix.

The 37 year-old man whose penis bears the tatooed slogan 'Hot Rod' says he feels violated by having its image captured by a doc with a mobile phone.

The incident was reported by a member of surgical staff at the hospital. An investigation is underway. Dr Hansen has been placed on administrative leave.

[via metro]

Related, sort of: - Nurse fired for camera prank

Nurse fired for camera prank

File under appaling. According to The Telegraph, a nurse was kicked out of the profession yesterday after she urged an assistant to put a brown paper bag over a dementia patient's head and then took a photo with her mobile phone.

"Debra Phillips, 36, cut out two eyeholes and drew a smile on the bag before the care assistant placed it on the elderly man's head, it was said.

She was seen pointing her camera phone at the patient and heard saying "let's take a picture" before showing the picture to colleagues and sending it to her boyfriend, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.

Phillips claimed she had been playing "peek-a-boo" with the man, known as Patient A. But yesterday the NMC found her fitness to practice was impaired by reason of her misconduct."

Related (horrific) stories:

-- Care-Giving Facility Beating Caught On Cell Phone Camera

-- Cellphone videos showed workers at an Anaheim facility striking disabled clients

-- L.A. Teens Taped Homeless Beatings on Cell Phones

Camera phones, fun no more warns Sri Lanka police

With the mobile camera phone now being the ‘in thing’ in Sri Lanka, like in many other countries and as a result of its growing popularity the police cautioned that anyone misusing the technology could be taken to task.

Police spokesman DIG Jayantha Wickramaratne says the public could go as far as filing civil action and claiming damages from a camera phone user if there is a violation of their privacy.

[via Daily Mirror]

Camera Phone Nabs Perv on NYC Subway

In New York City, a subway pervert has been nailed thanks to a camera phone, reports Switched.

"Jay Arungah is accused of exposing himself and molesting a 30-year-old woman on New York's B and Q subway lines. According to the victim, Arungah stared at her before exposing himself and lighting a cigarette. When she moved, Arungah followed. When the victim tried to escape at the next station, he pressed himself against her.

When the woman was finally able to escape the train, Arungah followed her. She reached a phone and dialed 911, but not before pulling out her camera phone and snapping a photo of Arungah. When police arrived, Arungah was arrested.

.. New York has just introduced a so called 'Peeping Tome Law' that would make leering sexually at another person a crime punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine. "

Links to related incidents:

-- Subway pervert arrested in Manhattan

-- Cell phone used to nab subway flasher

-- Mobile Phone Sousveillance In Action Again

-- Perverts beware: female bloggers armed with camera phones are posting your pictures on

Nigerian state wants film ban after sex scandal

The government of Nigeria's predominantly Muslim state of Kano has called for a one-year ban on local film-making to "sanitise" the industry after a sex video of a local actress circulated widely on mobile phones. Reuters Africa reports.

"The eight-minute clip, recorded for private use by the actress's boyfriend on a mobile phone and showing the two of them naked, caused a public outcry among conservative Muslims in northern Nigeria.

The state's Filmmakers Association expelled 17 of its members for suspected involvement in "immoral acts such as drunkenness and fornication", even though they were not connected to the clip.

The actress in question has gone into hiding."

Landmark ruling on phone footage

A newspaper has been criticised in a landmark Press Complaints Commission ruling on the use of video material on its website. The BBC reports.

"The Hamilton Advertiser used mobile phone footage of an unruly classroom, which had been filmed by a 16-year-old student who filmed her unruly mathematics class on her mobile phone in order to explain poor results to her parents.

The PCC agreed that the story was a matter of public interest - but said the paper should have taken steps to obscure the pupils' identities.

It was the first case involving audio and video to be considered by the PCC.

In recent years an increasing number of national and local newspapers have added video footage to their web content and have begun asking members of the public to send in their footage. The commission's remit was extended in February to cover such material.

The BBC's media correspondent, Torin Douglas, said this was likely to be the first of many such complaints to the PCC."

Malaysia Cracks Down on Camera Phones

The ban on such devices in government buildings is designed to protect national security, according to Business Week.

" Government agencies across the country have implemented the necessary measures to ensure they are in compliance with a directive, equiring visitors to surrender camera-embedded communication devices when they enter high-security areas in government buildings.

The ban will prevent spying and the leaking of sensitive information or official secrets, which could jeopardize national security, Chief Secretary Mohamed Sidek Hassan, explained in a circular--written in Malay--issued to all government ministries, departments and agencies."

Hospitals Nationwide Combat Employee Camera-Phone Abuse

A rash of incidents in hospitals across the country involving camera phones has led to firings -- and the realization that monitoring the devices in clinical facilities is no easy task. Wired.

"After sorting through red tape, a California hospital has fired nine employees who in April either took or looked at camera-phone photos of a patient's X-ray. Meanwhile, at least three other hospitals across the country are struggling with similar problems.

... In another case at Tri-City Medical, a security guard stopped a secretary from taking a camera-phone picture of a suicidal psychiatric patient. The secretary resigned, Segall said.

And a former respiratory therapist at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego faces felony charges over allegations that he took eight photographs of two bedridden children using a cell phone".

Related incidents from around the world:

-- Russian mother films "gagged babies" in hospital with cameraphone

-- Hospital staffer accused of molesting comatose children and taking cell phone photos of himself in the act

-- Shocking Photos Show Nurses Abusing Infants

Hospital workers fired for taking pictures of patients

Several medical workers at the Tri-City Hospital in Oceanside (Calif) were allegedly secretly taking pictures of patients and patient records with their cell phones, 10News reports.

According to the information given to 10News investigators, on April 18, a patient who attempted suicide was brought to the emergency room at Tri-City.

A worker was caught taking a picture of the patient using a cell phone.

In another incident, patient X-rays have been photographed without permission.

... The hospital said there was no breach of patient privacy but confirmed with 10News that five nurses, three secretaries and two technicians were fired."

Middle school kids take camphone pics of themselves nude

The Middle school students of Castle Rock, Colorado - children aged twelve and thirteen - who were caught taking nude pictures of themselves with their cameraphones have been let off the hook - legally.

Following a a criminal investigation, it turns out there was no malice involved or pictures posted on the Internet (maybe one). It was just for fun.

The royals' new fear: a camera in every hand

According to The Telegraph, the rise of "citizen journalism" is causing concern among the Royal family and celebrities, particularly when they are on holiday. The activity has spiralled since the terrorist attacks on London tubes and a bus on July 7, 2005.

"... Members of the public have realised that a single photograph of the couple taken on a mobile phone or a discreet digital camera can earn them thousands of pounds if sold to a picture agency. In turn, the agency sells the picture on to newspapers and magazines.

"The latest trend has caused concern at Clarence House, where the Prince of Wales and his sons have their private offices. Royal aides deplore the practice but concede there is little that can be done to combat it - other than appeal to the public to use restraint and respect the couple's privacy."

[via SMS Text News]

Nude camphone pictures trigger criminal investigation

Pictures of naked middle-school girls that classmates forwarded on their cell phones have triggered a criminal investigation. DenverPost.com reports.

"... Girls at Castle Rock Middle School took naked pictures of themselves on their cell phones and then sent them to their boyfriends. The boys then forwarded the pictures to their friends.

Dozens of students at the school, which includes seventh and eighth grades, have already been implicated in the forwarding of the pictures. The Internet Crimes Against Children team of the Castle Rock Police is investigating.

Publishing nude pictures of minors on the Internet, either on pornographic sites or on sites like MySpace or Facebook, classifies as sexual exploitation of a child, a class 4 felony."

Cameraphone Ban at Liz Hurley Wedding in India

In what is now becoming commmon practice at celeb weddings, guests are not allowed to bring their cameraphones, as the happy couple usually signs away exclusive rights to images of the event. In this case, reportedly with Hello! magazine.

"A total ban on mobile phones inside the palace, apparently prompted by the couple's desire for media privacy, was also being applied to the Maharaja himself, even though he lives there, the Hindustan Times newspaper quoted a member of the royal staff as saying."

[via the Associated Press]

Hello to less privacy

Cellphone cameras continue to haunt both celebs and ordinary Joes. Can morals keep pace with technology? USA today doesn't think so.

"We no longer have to worry only of Big Brother government watching us. Now we have Little Brother to contend with, too — and he's got a camera phone.

"The days when something happens in front of a crowd and it's not captured on camera are over," says Josh Calder, a trend tracker at Social Technologies. "We have to assume anything we do in public is potentially going into the public record."

... Here's one possible peek at the future: More camera phones, more camera phone images, more people watching camera phone images — and little control over any of it.

"We do get pleasure and pain from other people's embarrassment — it makes us feel better about ourselves," says Cal State's Wehr. "We see people's failings and we're relieved: Thank God I didn't get drunk and take off my clothes."

Picture above left from Gawker Stalker, which tracks celebrity sightings around Manhattan called in by ordinary citizens and publishes them online. This one is of Sandra Bullocks spotted at a Starbucks in Soho yesterday.

French businessman in Singapore gets 3 weeks in jail for filming up a womans skirt

A French businessman caught filming up a woman's skirt on a Singapore shopping centre escalator was jailed for three weeks, reports the Bangkok Post.

"He could have been jailed for up to one year and fined.

Since 2005, at least 11 other men have been convicted of similar offences, including engineers, teachers and a doctor, the report said. "

Student films fatal head on collision from bus window

The Times Herald Record reports that the day after two Wallkill High School students (NY) died in a head-on collision, someone who filmed the immediate aftermath took it one step further, posting it on YouTube.

"The clip is 27 seconds long, shot through a bus window, almost certainly on a student's cell phone.

"You should seriously be ashamed of yourself," someone wrote on the site.

"Delete it and show respect," wrote freakazoid91. Almost every other word to the video's poster, named skedneck, is a profanity or a threat.

Youtube.com pulled the video down by 3 p.m. yesterday, citing a "terms of use violation." It was back up 30 minutes later, then down again.

... In situations like this, certain passer-by behavior is expected. Phones come out, pictures are snapped, videos filmed. There is always a morbid archivist among the rubberneckers. This crash was no different."

Man brought in for unsolicited photo of stranger

The Hankyoreh reports that last week, an intoxicated Korean bus passenger was taken into police custody after taking a picture of another passenger without her permission.

"The man took a cameraphone shot of a 50-year-old female sitting across him, identified as Choi. Choi then snatched the phone and stopped the bus. She reported the incident to the police and Jo was taken to a police station in Yongsan.

An official of the National Police Agency warned, "People who take photos of other persons without their permission can be brought to court. It is the same case for those who spread photos [of other people] through the Internet, even if they have taken the pictures with permission. People should not take photos of other persons in public places," advised the official."

Italy. Camphone video of Student beaten by Teacher

AGI Online reports on a camera phone video of a pupil being beaten up by his teacher - following what was probably a provoking prank.

But what's interesting is that this lead to an investigation which uncovered "18 other other videos which recorded excessive behaviour and sometimes violent actions, revealing what Italian schools are like for some pupils (often with the passive acceptance of their classmates) which maybe neither teachers nor parents were aware of or pretended to be unaware of".

Related Incidents from around the world:

-- Canadian Teacher's angry outburst filmed and posted on YouTube (2006)

-- Singapore Student films teacher berating classmate (2003)

-- Video of US teacher's outburst is on Web (2005)

-- UK Teachers shun phone-photo pupil who shot staff' cleavage (2006)

Reese Witherspoon bans camera-phones from set to hush rumours

Reese Witherspoon has reportedly demanded a ban on mobile phones on the set of her new film Rendition to stop camera-phone pictures being taken of her and co-star Jake Gyllenhaal.

"After separating and filing from divorce from husband Ryan Phillippe last month, Reese is adamant about not being linked to Jake in case it affects the divorce proceedings." Makes sense.

... New Line Cinema, have agreed to the ban - but the studio has refused to comment on the matter itself."

[via Fametastic.co.uk

Camera phone delays Bellamy case

The assault trial of Welsh international football player Craig Bellamy was briefly halted after a claim that photographs were taken of him in court. The BBC reports.

"The Wales and Liverpool star is on trial at Cardiff Magistrates Court, where he denies assaulting two women.

The case was halted after the judge was told an usher had seen a mobile phone's camera being placed against the window of the court door. "

Private lives exposed by net video

A thoughtful piece on the BBC by Internet law professor Michael Geist, on private lives exposed by video in today's world - going over some the most recent events which made headline news (all previously covered in this blog)

"... The emergence of an always-on video society raises some difficult questions about the appropriate privacy-transparency balance, the ethics of posting private moments to a global audience, and the responsibility of websites hosting the clips.

... With built-in video cameras on laptop computers, portable devices and cell phones, and widespread internet access, the clip culture is rapidly morphing from bits of favourite television shows to videos of our friends, neighbours, and even ourselves."

State-by-state guide to polling place photos

The Center for Citizen Media has posted an extensive guide to the state-by-state rules on polling-place photography. [via boingboing].

Usefull information for anyone planning to participate in the Video the Vote campaign, blogged about earlier, which is encouraging US citizen to have their cameraphones and camcorders ready, to document and report any irregularities that occur at polling places and boards of elections while they are happening.

Here are answers to the questions raised by The Center for Citizen Media on what you are allowed to photograph in and around the polling booths.

-- Can you photograph or video your vote inside the polling station– either a paper ballot or electronic screen?
-- Can you photograph or video yourself voting inside the polling station?
-- Can you photograph or video others voting or the working of the polling station from within it?
-- Can you photograph or video the polling station from outside it?
-- Can you photograph or video people leaving the voting station?
-- Can you ask people questions leaving the polling station and can you video or blog their answers?

Australia. Defence worker sacked over camera phone

A worker at one of Australia's most secret military facilities has been fired for taking a camera phone to work in a major breach of security, reports the Townsville Bulletin.

"The case has highlighted security concerns at the base, which is adjacent to the site where Australia's $6 billion air warfare destroyers will be built. All camera phones are barred from high-security defence sites unless especially authorised. "

Now it's 15 minutes of shame not fame

The idea that in today's media driven world everyone enjoys 15 minutes of fame has mutated in Hollywood to surviving 15 minutes of shame, according to The Hollywood Reporter .

"More and more high profile celebrities have found themselves basking in the unforgiving glow of the media spotlight after misbehaving in public. In this age of the 24 hour news cycle media coverage begins with breaking news and continues to focus on every mini-scrap of news a story generates.

... Almost always there's video coverage at the scene because we're now living in a world of camera phones and video-capable Treos. It's routine today to have this kind of footage wind up almost immediately in the media's hands.

Moreover, thanks to the Internet the media cycle has evolved into a never-ending loop.

The good news is that today's public is almost always forgiving and typically grants a new lease on life to misbehaving celebrities who seek redemption. Hollywood's new textbook approach for getting through 15 minutes of shame is for a star to go on network TV and let his or her hair down."

Above picture, mel Gibson redemption on Diane Sawyer via Defamer

Restaurateurs are wary of culinary bloggers

Guess who joins the long list of privacy-fearing businesses who are wary off cameraphones and bloggers? Restaurateurs and their staff, because of a "blossoming number of camera-wielding patrons", reports The San Francisco Chronicle.

"The marriage of food bloggers and camera phones has given rise to often extensive photo essays of fancy meals. "

While cameras once signaled a diner trying to capture a happy moment, many restaurateurs now view them as the badge of a would-be critic. While the resulting photographs allow hungry Web surfers to preview their meals online, they also signal a new level of scrutiny for restaurants -- and less privacy for diners.

... Many bloggers, including some of the Bay Area's most notable online scribes, often painstakingly document each morsel of food put before them during a meal and publish dozens of images of a single meal online."

Picture from Gastronomie

Qatari women fear matchmakers' camera phones in hair salons

According to The Gulf News via Camera Phone Report, "women in Qatar are avoiding hair salons because they're afraid their photo will be taken with a camera phone by matchmakers- to show to the males of their families or others."

"Once a lady who is usually wearing the veil is portrayed without it and her picture is shown around, her reputation could be ruined forever."

Quirky videos about office are fun on the Net, but raise sticky policy ssues

A growing number of employee-created videos - often shot in a goofy way on hand-held devices - are showing up on sites such as YouTube.com, MySpace and Metacafe.com. Newsday reports.

"... Fun can be in the eye of the beholder. Video scenarios can be embarrassing to the employer or even to other employees. They can violate trade secrets. And they're even potentially illegal.

Just when employers were getting a handle on workplace blogging - whether it's OK for employees to blog about the office and, if so, under what kinds of restrictions - companies are starting to call their attorneys about this latest online happening.

It's telling that even as technology is allowing employers to monitor and regulate employee behavior, it's also paving the way for workers to spoof, or even vilify, the boss or workplace. Some employers have begun to add yet another layer to their employee policy manual with the do's and don'ts of camera and video use in the workplace.

View CJP Behind the Magic on MySpace. They're good!

Australia. New laws to crack down on voyeurs

Voyeurs who snap pictures up women's skirts and down their blouses will be the subject of new national laws as part of a crackdown on people taking invasive and unauthorised photos for sexual gratification, reports The Australian.

"The laws will be debated at today's meeting of attorneys-general in Melbourne, along with draft laws removing the Family Court's role in authorising the sterilisation of girls and young women with intellectual disabilities."

Cell Phone Picture Called Obstruction Of Justice

Neftaly Cruz, 21, was handcuffed and arrested outside his home in Phildaelphia for taking a picture of police arresting a drug dealer with his cell phone, according to NBC news.

"Police threatened to charge ho, with conspiracy, impeding an investigation, obstruction of a investigation. … They said, 'You were impeding this investigation.'

Cruz's famly said it has filed a formal complaint with the police department's Internal Affairs division and are requesting a complete investigation".

Other incidents where law enforcers or authorities stepped in on cameraphoness, based on privacy issues or civil rights:

-- Police officer orders camphone shot to be deleted

-- Student accused of violating bus driver's civil rights for recording his behaviour

Qatar. Mobile phones keep women away from salons

The fear of cameraphones which can take pictures of a woman on the sly, is keeping Qatari women away from beauty salons, reports The Peninsula via Smart Mobs.

"Women now mostly prefer free-lance beauticians to visit their homes so they can avail their services in the privacy of their homes."

Always in the camera's eye

These days, surveillance cameras aren't just mounted on buildings and satellites, controlled by government and businesses. Now they're carried by a nation obsessed with its own image. USA Today reports.

"Kids snap cellphone pictures at parties and instantly put them on the Web; fans who nab photos of unsuspecting celebrities share them on celebrity-watch sites. The guy in the car next to you is leaning out of his window, taking a video that he later uploads to a video site where it could be seen by dozens or hundreds of people — maybe even millions.

... While many, especially young people, think it's all fun, privacy watchers are eyeing the new trend, trying to gauge just how it will affect us legally and shape us socially.

"We're going to be a society where tons and tons of photographs and information about us are available online without our consent," says Jason Schultz, staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "Privacy is sometimes something we don't realize we value except in hindsight."

It's not that most citizen videographers are looking to violate anyone's privacy.

Aside from the legal issues, however, social scientists worry about the way the ever-present lens already is affecting society.

Just the knowledge that cameras are everywhere can "have a chilling effect," says psychologist and sociologist Sherry Turkle of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It can give people "a sense of living your life on camera and living your life potentially being watched."

That changes behavior, adds Howard Rheingold, an author and consultant on online communities. "It forms an environment in which the assumption that there's a camera around is more and more part of your daily awareness. This assumption you're being watched internalizes surveillance."

DoCoMo To Release Camera-Free Corporate Cell Phones

NTT DoCoMo is launching a mobile phone this month without a camera function, targeted to corporations - "to prevent data leaks caused by employees photographing documents or other sensitive information", according to Nikkei.net.

Related:

-- Siemens new business phone - without a camera - The company's marketing stand on the SP65 is that it is a phone which "supports corporate security policies which prohibit employees to use handsets with cameras".

-- "Camera-less" cell phone - "Camera-less" - the selling point behind the launch of a new handset, the T-Mobile SDA.

-- Sprint puts lens cap on camera phones - The corporate backlash against mobile phones with built-in cameras has spurred Sprint to remove the lens from one of their best-selling models.

Anti-Camera' System Blocks Unwanted Digital Photography

The Georgia Institute of Technology reports that researchers have completed a prototype device that can block digital-camera function in a given area.

"The small-area product could prevent espionage photography in government buildings, industrial settings or trade shows. It could also be used in business settings -- for instance, to stop amateur photography where shopping-mall-Santa pictures are being taken.

The system works by looking for the reflectivity and shape of the image-producing sensors used in digital cameras." You can hear more about it in today's show on mobuzz.tv.

Related:

-- 'Privacy zone' blocks camera phones - Iceberg Systems' Safe Haven, testing in 2003, could automatically switch off camera phones to protect industrial secrets and private areas.

Samsung bans their own phone from HQ

In what sounds like a promotional sound bite, Samsung claims it's new model, the SCH-B570, has been banned from Samsung headquarters.

"8GB storage capacity is more than enough to steal all confidential data about our company," said Ki-Tae Lee, CEO of Samsung Electronics’ Telecommunications Network, reports Mobile Magazine.

Cameraphones have been barred from Samsung's factories as early as July 2003, when the company formely banned all employees and visitors from bringing in their camera phones, concerned over leakage of corporate information and industrial know-how.

Teachers shun phone-photo pupil

Teachers have voted to boycott a pupil who secretly took a photo of a female member of staff's cleavage, according to the BBC.

"The boy was caught by another member of staff at St Cuthbert's RC school in Newcastle upon Tyne, while adding a lewd caption to the camera phone image.

Members of the The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers and The Association of Teachers and Lecturers voted to refuse to teach the boy, who was expelled but later reinstated when his parents won an appeal."

Previous related post: - Teacher strike threat over boy's cleavage photo

No laughing matter

Documented by a cameraphone picture, an incident in a Brooklyn firehouse in November involved a stupid and offensive attempt at humor by a firefighter in need of sensitivity training. From the Daily News via Reiter's Camera Phone Report.

"The facts are known only in outline: A black firefighter is subjected to slurs in calls from an FDNY retiree. The firefighter tells colleagues. He is summoned to the firehouse kitchen, where a white co-worker wears a mockup of a KKK hood. This is supposed to be a tension-easing joke. The firefighter snaps a camera-phone photo but doesn't file a complaint. He shows the picture to a lieutenant whose brother heads the Vulcan Society, which represents black firefighters.

The New York fire commissioner office suggests sensitivity training, rather than a punishment because the firefighters in the house work well together and didn't want anyone punished. Left out of consideration is the damage this kind of idiocy does to the FDNY."

As Reiter points out "Perhaps this is a minor use of camera phones. But it highlights the everyday use: Quickly and powerfully documenting a problem."