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January 26th, 2009

Law to require camera phones to go click

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 1:07 pm

Categories: Legal

Tags: Phone, Camera Phone, Cell Phone, Photograph, Camera, Camera Phones, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Here’s a good one for discussion - the Camera Phone Predator Alert Act will, if introduced, require any cellphone to make a sound when a photo is taken.

Requires any mobile phone containing a digital camera to sound a tone whenever a photograph is taken with the camera’s phone. Prohibits such a phone from being equipped with a means of disabling or silencing the tone. Treats the requirement as a consumer product safety standard and requires enforcement by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

It’s not difficult to poke holes in this one … How hard will it be to circumvent? Why only sound a tone on taking a photo and not video? Why only cameras on cellphones?

Camera Phone Predator Alert Act ...

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… and here I was thinking that lawmakers had better things to do. Guess I was wrong.

Adrian Kingsley-HughesAdrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations

Want to get in touch? Got a tip? Feel free to drop me a note! I ALWAYS respect anonymity. I'm also on Twitter (@the_pc_doc)

Right to Reply: Should any industry representatives wish to comment on any posts on Hardware 2.0, I will be happy to publish their reply verbatim on this blog.

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  • Talkback
  • Most Recent of 61 Talkback(s)
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click
Not a silly idea, but a silly implementation. This world is crawling with predators, and it is disgusting. Predators suffer from recividism, are never healed, and only can be prevented from "acting on their impulses".

Is it silly if it can be circumvented? No, everything can be circumvented.... (Read the rest)
Posted by: rueldeleon@... Posted on: 02/24/09 You are currently: a Guest | | Terms of Use
more than just those questions  coffeeshark | 01/26/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  bjs_z | 01/26/09
Begs the question  seanferd | 01/27/09
Wait a Second  marc_90292@... | 01/31/09
Obviously they have no grasp of the technology.  T1Oracle | 01/26/09
This has already been done in Japan  msanto00 | 01/26/09
True  Alkora | 01/27/09
It's happening everywhere...  LeeC | 01/27/09
the "special treatment" statement is lacking  nancyjones36507@... | 01/27/09
Of course -the children !  elderlybloke | 01/31/09
The reasoning is not different than the one about weapons  raul62 | 02/02/09
Already done in Aus too  imaginemm | 01/27/09
Windows Mobile  absent | 01/27/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  jimbo2 | 01/26/09
Silent Cameras  marc_90292@... | 01/31/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  RIAAsucks | 01/26/09
Silly idea!  Grayson Peddie | 01/26/09
But LAW would make silent not an option  jhimes | 01/27/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  Linux User 147560 | 01/27/09
Not as broken as TR.  seanferd | 01/27/09
Attn- Linux User 147560  elderlybloke | 01/31/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  hipposelect | 01/27/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  broozer@... | 01/27/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go 'click'  bfilipiak@... | 01/27/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  wargammer2005 | 01/27/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  steve.senatori@... | 01/27/09
Only an idiot would propose this  Dr_Zinj | 01/27/09
Wait! Is This the SAME Republican Rep. Peter King Who Wanted to Outlaw  drprod@... | 01/27/09
Idiot Law  marc_90292@... | 01/31/09
Why don't they use their....  r1r1p1@... | 01/27/09
yeah, we don't want them wasting time  nancyjones36507@... | 01/27/09
And they've ever managed to do that how?  seanferd | 01/27/09
Bingo!  r1r1p1@... | 01/27/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  Dr.C | 01/27/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  stormsurge | 01/27/09
Our laws already protect predators  GuntherGump | 01/27/09
No, laws protect people from unproven allegations of being predators. (nt)  Henrik Moller | 01/27/09
impossible  joemamainthehouse | 02/23/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  pdf6161 | 01/27/09
This kind of idiocy is seldom even read...  Henrik Moller | 01/27/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  LeeC | 01/27/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  jlutgring | 01/27/09
Where Have YOU Been? Republicans Have Been Busy Raping the Constitution  drprod@... | 01/27/09
Message has been deleted.  Henrik Moller | 01/28/09
Law enforcement exemption?  jabster17 | 01/27/09
really stupid idea! what smoking gun is big brother trying to stop here? (n  wessonjoe | 01/27/09
You know, it's just me  Lerianis | 01/27/09
It's Just You, Lerianis  drprod@... | 01/27/09
No, many women,  scottatdtn | 01/28/09
it depends...  doh123 | 01/28/09
Re: Religous twist on this  sixtythreechevy@... | 02/02/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  Markfireeye | 01/28/09
Require the user to say 'Click' instead  cwallen19803@... | 01/28/09
ambient noise issue  nick@... | 01/30/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  pj_mouse | 01/30/09
Oops  pj_mouse | 01/30/09
stupid, pointless, waste of time  Hobyx | 01/30/09
Click in speaking  elderlybloke | 01/31/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  hforman@... | 01/31/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  sixtythreechevy@... | 02/02/09
RE: Law to require camera phones to go click  rueldeleon@... | 02/24/09

What do you think?

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