Are state legislatures beginning to over-legislate? It seems when states are not busy addressing hands-free legislation, they are trying their collective hands at laws that restrict the types of pictures people can take with camera phones. I’m not necessarily against this type of legislation, I just have yet to be convinced that it should be a pressing concern for legislators who should be dealing with budget shortfalls, education issues, lack of jail space, etc. In the wireless industry alone, legislators need look no further than trying to find adequate funding for first responders to be able to answer wireless 911 service if they want an issue to address.
My beloved Colorado is just one of a number of states tackling the dreaded camera-phone pictures problem. A bill that would make it illegal for people to take pictures of “intimate parts” of another without their consent easily passed through the House and is on its way to the Senate.
Why the need for this legislation? There have been miniature cameras around for years, and the Internet takes care of any distribution challenges some sicko could have faced in the past in disseminating embarrassing pictures from unsuspecting victims. Indeed, one could argue the camera-phone legislation is the last thing legislators should be worried about because the wireless industry is still grappling with interoperability issues. The embarrassing photo taken with a wireless handset from Carrier A cannot easily be sent to a person using a different wireless carrier.
Companies, schools and health clubs are just some of the organizations restricting the use of camera phones from certain parts of their campuses. And yes, it only makes sense that no one should be taking pics with their camera phones in a classified area of a company or in a locker room (especially in a locker room!).
Gartner Inc. recently came out with a study that said outright bans in the workplace are probably ineffective, in part because they are difficult to enforce. Instead, the research firm suggests placing usage guides that workers can follow.
I guess the industry should be flattered. When SMS came into being, it was soon discovered students could cheat on tests by texting answers to their schoolmates. Now it sounds like there is an epidemic of whackos wanting to take dirty pictures and send them on.
Viva la Wireless!
