Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Camera, phones, noise, photo, Congress | Themes: Smartphones
Wired today reports that a new bill introduced that, if passed, would see a requirement for mobile phones with digital cameras "to make a sound" when a photograph is taken.
Introduced in the Congress by New York Republican Rep. Peter King, the bill is part of the "Camera Phone Predator Attack Alert Act" and is designed to protect people’s privacy (particularly children) when they’re using dressing rooms or in public places.
The bill states: “(a) Requirement- Beginning 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, any mobile phone containing a digital camera that is manufactured for sale in the United States shall sound a tone or other sound audible within a reasonable radius of the phone whenever a photograph is taken with the camera in such phone. A mobile phone manufactured after such date shall not be equipped with a means of disabling or silencing such tone or sound.”
As much as we’re all about safety and privacy, especially when it comes to kids, it seems silly to think that introducing a law that says cell phone cameras should make a sound that is audible within a certain radius. Sure this will cut down on kids being exploited by pictures taken while they’re getting changed for gym or for swim practice; but with technology progressing the way it is, actual cameras are getting smaller all the time and pocketsize cameras are producing a higher quality image. Gone are the days when you needed a giant pervert lens to get a good shot.
Such a policy, however, would not be without precedent. In Japan and South Korea, all camera phones sold by law must make an audible sound whenever a picture is taken – in hopes to discourage voyeurs from taking up-skirt photos of unsuspecting victims.
There’s also the idea (as pointed out by Wired readers) that someone might be taking a picture of a crime in progress. That audible-within-a-reasonable-radius mandatory noise would snitch on the snitcher, perhaps putting him or her in danger.
Of course, the bill makes no mention of audible noises for the recording of video by a cell phone, which may open up an entire new skill set requirement for those who use camera phones for more nefarious purposes.
From our experience, more and more phones these days already ship with an audible cue during photo taking, though some phones do hush it up when in silent mode. If it passes, the bill will mean that new phones will no longer have the ability to switch off the fake shutter noise, regardless of silent mode or not.
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I wonder how long before anti-sound hacks start popping up...
This is stupid, why should a camera phone be treated any different that a real camera....with much better quality.
The first thing most people do when they get a brand new digital camera is turn off the stupid sounds it makes when it takes pics. If you've ever been to a wedding, it sounds absolutely awful when peoples' cameras are sending off chimes and fake shutter sounds left and right during a quiet ceremony. Mobile-phone cameras are supposed to be transitioning towards being more like a dedicated point-and-shoot. This would just make them annoying.
Won't work. Predators and wizkids will either disable it or replace the sound with a silent sound file. Then the legitimate users (read: huge majority) will be pissed off.
This is just ridiculous for so many reasons.
Ah yes. Sure to piss off and aggravate all of the average consumers and have little to no effect on the target user, the perverts.
I prefer the phone that lets out a pungent smell each time you take a picture.
Tax paying dollars in action passing that bill, What a joke...
I think my BB Pearl already does this. I can't seem to change the tone or volume on the camera.
Sounds just like gun laws, honest people affected, dishonest people unaffected.
Yeah just like gun laws except having a camera phone without a noise isn't protected under the Bill of Rights.
I prefer the phone that lets out a pungent smell each time you take a picture.
Is that a real product? Where can I buy it?
I'd like to know how the bill would require manufacturers to make it impossible for a user to put a small piece of tape over the speaker to silence the sound (or their thumb)? Maybe all camera users will be required to remove their thumbs!
So, just taking the speaker out of the phone isn't a way to bypass this. I can't believe lawmakers get paid to come up with this crap.
"So, just taking the speaker out of the phone isn't a way to bypass this. I can't believe lawmakers get paid to come up with this crap."
+1
Democrats in da house. Buy more ammo before each bullet will be required to have microchip !!!!!!!!!!
The real problem to is that with this law in place people will feel more comfortable because they know that weirdo's phone isn't makeing camera sounds. When in actuality its been modified(to be silent) and said weirdo is taking all kinds of pictures. Once again government regulation fails and only makes things worse.
Democrats in da house. Buy more ammo before each bullet will be required to have microchip !!!!!!!!!!
Did you even read the story before spewing partisan BS?
"Democrats in da house. Buy more ammo before each bullet will be required to have microchip !!!!!!!!!!"
Bill was introduced by a Republican...
lol, +1 to Eccentric909 and SPiG for catching that.
On my LG8100, I already can't turn off the sound. Of course one of the first hacks I did on my phone was to turn it off (its really annoying).
A much better way to state that would be librals in the house :-) I am not partisan when it comes to republican/democrat but I don't usually agree with liberals. Both parties seem to have a majority of them.
Just a lawmaker trying to justify his job. If there are no need for anymore laws to be made, why have lawmakers?
Uh, conservatives are the one that always try to pass these bullshit "morality" bills.
OMG this is the best our politicians have to do with their time
@ira176: I wouldn't go so far as to say there are no more laws to be made. With the way technology, culture and business is evolving, there will always be a need for restrictions to be revised/put in place and that's one small part of a very large pie.
And don't forget the overthrow of old archaic laws that no longer fit with today's society (e.g. drug prohibition, the odd anti-abortion/homosexuality laws that are still around).
Absolutely. Or those stupid rules about drinking and driving. It's a free country and the government has no business telling me how much I can drink or when I can use my own car.
70.000 jobs lost in one day and this is what the idiots in congress are working on?
be careful what you talk about ya'll. next all digital cameras will be required to make annoying f*ng sounds whenever you take a picture.
Wouldn't it be easier to just outlaw skirts, and make changing area's more private.... you know, without the 'half door & walls'...