H.R. 414, the Camera Phone Predator Alert Act

[Matariki]

H.R. 414, the Camera Phone Predator Alert Act, requires cameras in cell phones to make an audible sound to alert others (such as in locker rooms) when a picture is taken.

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/bills/?billtype=H.R.&billnumb=414&congress=111


Why does this seem like it's more for the protection of police or situations like Abu Ghraib. How much abuse has been exposed due to the ability to photograph and quickly email images?

[DS1]

1. Might as well kill two birds with one stone

make the "audible alert" someone yelling "DAYUM YOU UGLY!"

that would cut down on all the lawsuits over leaked photos of naked people showing up online, because no woman would ever put up with that.

[lapfog_1]

2. Audible alerts are the easiest thing to defeat

without disabling the camera.

Some small bit of foam rubber and tape should do the trick.

And, if you don't like that hack, clipping one wire to the speaker will take car of it.

[anonymous171]

3. Ohh look how tough on crime they are. nt

[nichomachus]

4. These phones have actually hurt some businesses

There is a local naturist resort (nudist), a very upscale place, that attracts customers from all over the world. Condos in the resort sell for $400K and up. It's completely on the up and up. Any hint of hanky or panky and you are out the door. The owner recently told me that they have lost a good number of customers -- mainly celebrities, politicians, clergymen, etc. They just couldn't take the chance, with the prevalence of cell phone cameras, that their nude photos would end up on the Internet or in a tabloid.

[Posteritatis]

5. I kinda think Congress has more important things to worry about

Then again, one of those silly keep-the-evil-off-teh-intarwebz laws expired today, so they probably need some moral panic.

[MattBaggins]

6. Morans never learn

There will be zero day cracks and instructions on how to disable such features. It simply will not work.

[Matariki]

7. true enough.

still, i wonder who/what is the motivating force behind this bit of legislation.