Posted on 01/28/2009 6:29:14 AM PST by Mobile Vulgus
In a what-was-he-thinking move, Representative Peter King (R-NY) has recently introduced H.R. 414, the Camera Phone Predator Alert Act which is aimed at preventing "predators" from taking illicit photos of others in public with cell phones. The bill will force cell phone manufacturers to make the camera feature of a cell phone emit a noise so that it will be audibly obvious when a picture is taken.
As the bill summary at Thomas.loc.gov states:
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).
Really? So now we are mandating sounds here? Should we begin to make laws that devices of every kind emit some sort of sound to alert everyone in the vicinity that something has been used in their presence, and predicate it all on "public safety"? And, what if someone doesn't like the particular sound chosen? Are we going to sue to get the sound we like? Will the government then make rules of what kind of sound is made, how loud, how long? Will there be great volumes of the sorts of sounds "allowed" for one thing or another? Clicks for cameras? Star Trek-like swooshing sounds when doors open?
Read the rest at Publiusforum.com...
No... Seriously. WTF???
My Motorola Cell Phone is already equipped with such a feature. The noise is so LOUD, I would not use it in a restaurant as it would distract the entire establishment.
A discussion I had on our Canadian sister site revolved around how many more molesters, muggers, would-be rapists and other assorted lowlifes were being revealed, more & more, because so many people- especially the women-- are using cell phones with cameras.
This damn-fool meddling would sure put a crimp in that, wouldn't it?
Arlen Spector may import some Scottish law for this purpose: When striking a golf ball, one must yell "Fore!" and when taking a picture, one must shout "Click!"
UNLESS you put your phone is silent mode.
Liberalism is a mental illness.
Say you are hiding in a closet with a cracked door, getting ready to shoot an intruder in your home. You can get a gun cheaper than a cell phone.
They won't have to say anything. Japan already requires all cameraphones to make an audible noise when taking a photograph.
My brother has an optional sound effect on his new 3.3 megapixel cell phone camera. Unfortunately the sound is played immediately upon pressing the button, but the picture isn’t actually made till a couple of seconds later. He says he has a picture of a friend of his getting up out of her chair thinking that the picture had already been taken.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.