Camera-cell-phones:you too can
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Camera-cell-phones are nice gadgets that let youngsters snap photos around and then send each other their productions, for social interactions and for fun.
Other common names of these devices are Camphones, Picture Phones, Cameraphones, Camera Telephones, and Wireless Camera Phones.
A thorough description can be found at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_phone
Here we are more interested in the security aspects of the uses to which the Camera-cell-phones can be put, but we wish to stress also their risks and dangers.
When they are intended for security service Camera cell phones have two advantages over regular cameras. (Inferior picture quality used to be their limitation, but great progress is recently being made).
While hand held cameras are immediately perceived as menacing by those who may have good reasons for wishing to remain off the record, cell-phones are ubiquitous and their use is not going, generally, to raise suspicion and fear because most of them still do not embed a camera.
The other advantage is that photos can be transmitted at once to start defensive actions like access denial by authorities or guards. It is reported that a call by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (on January 17th, 2007) encouraged citizens to send immediately video of crimes or of dangerous situations to the metropolitan police.
Some providers propose to upload automatically to their online service for later retrieval every single video clip or photo. This feature would void any further aggressive action meant to destroy or at least to steal the gadget and the records of criminal actions.
Camera cell phones have been banned in sensitive locations and in public areas like museums and theaters, because of the danger of illicit use. To oppose snooping, health clubs and high schools are banning the use of camera phones, and sometimes even their introduction, but enforcement of these rules to detect or stop their use proves hard for security personnel.
School principals do not encourage the use of cell phones in school. They fear that these gadgets be disruptive to the educational environment. Furthermore they do not believe that their use would provide adequate preventive or support action in emergencies.
Cases where wrongdoers were nailed to incriminating evidence provided by Camera Cell Phones were diffused in the news. As they are becoming a powerful community tool, even violent policemen were confronted with their unacceptable behavior.
It appears that a single device has little chance, by itself unfortunately, of saving an individual victim from aggression, unless in rare cases of exceptional luck.
But some crimes are reported to happen in crowded venues, in full view of many people, who fear to intervene in defence of the victim lest the aggressors will assault them also. If only could there be a precise and impartial witness...
As camera cell phones become more and more diffused, it is increasingly probable that at least a few of their holders will summon the courage to film the scene, unseen by the rascals, while securing essential information for the record.
Their documentation can then be of capital importance for apprehending and prosecuting the criminals, and finally for improving the security conditions of the local society.
In other cases evidence of bravado was collected by ill-intentioned people with Camera-cell-phones just to boast within their group of some malicious actions, except that their video clips found a way to TV.
As many take pictures of accident scenes, and even of crimes, Television news services have encouraged the public to submit footage of accidents or newsworthy photos taken by Camera-cell-phones. This use may not be linked to security.
Like anything else, even camera-cell-phones can be abused. It is reported that credit cards pictures being taken by malicious bystanders with Camera-cell-phones is becoming one of the fastest growing scams.
The general rule is that picture taking is forbidden in those places where there is expectation of privacy.
Software that turns groups of ordinary camera-cell-phones into a smart surveillance network has been developed by Swiss researchers.
High-resolution images provided by megapixels Camera Cell Phones make them ratable as surveillance systems under British and European law. People will have to register with the data protection authorities as a CCTV user, according to Britain's Office of the Information Commissioner, and anyone can ask registered users to see what they have recorded.
In conclusion Camera-cell-phones may prove useful for surveillance and security, although the success depends on the nimbleness of the user, and although many questions still remain to be resolved.
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