Disabling cellphone cameras

[nettek]

Hi everyone,

With cellphones these days and the cameras attached to them, we all pretty much lost our privacy. People can take a picture of us at any time, anywhere with or without us knowing about it.
My question is, is it possible to do something about it? Building some kind of a device to temporarily disable cameras?

Thank you very much.

 

[Eduello]

If you disable the cameras on the software level, anyone who is skilled enough to hack into your phone can enable them. The easiest way to disable a camera is to cover it with tape.

 

[nettek]

I don't think you understood my question. It's not about disabling my camera, it's about disabling (even for a brief period of time) other's cameras. I think jamming would be a better word.

 

[Eduello]

Oh right, sorry about that. Building a device that would jam all cameras but not other devices would be nearly impossible, and also probably illegal in some parts of the world.

 

[nettek]

Stop me if I take this discussion becomes illegal and you don't want to talk about it, I'll understand.

What about EMPs? Will it do a temporary damage or a permanent one?

 

[Eduello]

EMPs fry electrical circuits, doing permanent damage, but they may or may not fry devices that are turned off, so that's not ideal either (not that you would be able to carry something that emits EMPs anyway).

 

[USAFRet]

1. In the US, cellphone jammers are illegal. I can't imagine a cellphone camera jammer would be any more legal.
2. Not all cameras are attached to cellphones.
3. EMP - Permanent destruction of circuitry. If you fry my camera, you and I are going to have an issue.
Also, you couldn't make one that would affect only the camera portion of a cellphone. What about the guy next to you with a pacemaker?
4. What about the guy who is in range of your mythical jammer who is NOT taking a pic of you, but something else entirely.

 

[nettek]

USAFRet, I was only ASKING, and that because I was afraid of the issues you mentioned, like the permanent destruction of circuitry, or pacemaker.
So I can only assume something like that does not exist, too bad. Too many people are taking pictures of others in embarrassing situations and what not and can upload it to the web, and that is just wrong.

 

[USAFRet]

USAFRet, I was only ASKING, and that because I was afraid of the issues you mentioned, like the permanent destruction of circuitry, or pacemaker.
So I can only assume something like that does not exist, too bad. Too many people are taking pictures of others in embarrassing situations and what not and can upload it to the web, and that is just wrong.

I know you were only asking. But no, something like that does not exist.

Solution?
Don't do embarrassing things in public.

 

[nettek]

Yeah, actually the embarrassing situations was only an example, not the problem I'm having.
Thank you both for answering though, I appreciate it.

 

[USAFRet]

Yeah, actually the embarrassing situations was only an example, not the problem I'm having.
Thank you both for answering though, I appreciate it.

Unfortunately, when you're in 'public', you're fair game.

 

[USAFRet]

There have been some efforts in this area. Nothing portable, though.

http/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/newsrelease/anti-camera.htm
http/www.citylab.com/commute/2012/10/device-blind-traffic-cameras-really-legal/3698/
https/abstract.cs.washington.edu/~shwetak/papers/cre-ubicomp05.pdf

 

[nettek]

Thanks, I marked this as the solution. The article you posted seems very interesting by the way, I'll make sure to read it.

 

[keithdraws]

I think a piece of equipment that jams or disables camera phones would be very desirable to the police, so I'm sure somebody is working on it now.

 

[tahahussein515]

there are some restricted areas where taking pictures is not allowed, also, having a device like that would be very useful for cinema theaters to prevent movie piracy. good question BTW, hope someone gives more resources about it !!