Camera phones banned

[dreuby]

I thought this report from the PC Pro newsletter was interesting, considering that camera mobile phones are being heavily advertised on TV here in the UK.

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Two councils in Ireland, one north and one south of the border, have banned camera phones from local authority-owned facilities as fears grow that they could be used by p**dophiles to take pictures of children.

Coleraine Borough Council in the north banned the phones earlier this week, while Dublin City Council revealed yesterday that it had taken the decision to ban the phones after a number of its leisure centres had unilaterally acted to protect users' privacy.

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[raybeck]

I'd have to agree with the banning...my gosh, what will be next? I have always thought the idea of camera phones were dumb, but I'm just not a huge cell phone user. They are great when you need them, but I don't really need mine much.

[RoadRunner]

Do they ban cameras?

[RoadRunner]

If they don't ban cameras, I don't see how you could ban a camera phone. If they do ban cameras, then the camera phones are already banned by default.

[Nise]

What?? That's crazy. How can they ban them? Do they use cell phones? do they use cameras?
Personally I think the camera phones are a good thing. Think of all the good that might come because of them. Catching crimes taking place, accidents, lost children that are sited could be reported to police immediately. Too many positives to ban them. As for the creeps taking pictures of children...they can do that with any kind of camera. I say always be responsible for knowing where your kids are and who they are with. NEVER EVER leave them un attended!!

[Nise]

Oh yeah, and Always watch for people who seem out of place around kids.

[dreuby]

Schools don't allow cameras, video cameras, etc at events like school plays now because of the worries. Our primary school wrote to say that if parents wanted to film events, they'd need permission from all parents of all children filmed. I think this has come from the education authority, and from the Dept of Education, rather from the school governors.

[Nise]

Wow, that would just kill parents around here! There are always about 50% of the parents in attendance at school functions that use video cameras or photograph their little darlings. I can't imagine the fuss that would cause to tell them they weren't allowed to capture their childs grade school memories.
But I guess in our very small town you don't have the crime where you are Dianne. I think its sad that the world is coming to that.

[raybeck]

That is a sad situation. There are a lot of sick folks out there, they seem to be the ones we hear about most of the time. There are also many, many wonderful people, but that doesn't sell the news, I guess.