Apple's New iPhone Censors (Er, Sensors) Are Big Trouble

21-06-2011

Apple has apparently filed a patent for software that would sense when iPhone users are trying to use their phone's camera at live events — and disable it.

The story has been mostly discussed in terms of how this "feature" would benefit promoters and broadcasters by limiting unauthorized videos of live events.

But my first thought was, "If concert promoters can block smartphone cameras, what's to stop governments from doing the same thing during protests and rallies?"

As we've seen in Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere during this spring, images and videos taken with cell phones can be a powerful form of political speech — speech that must be protected at all costs.

This photo of Egyptians protesters charging their cell phones says it all:

If we grant governments, private companies and yes, concert promoters the power to block our ability to capture events as they unfold, that power will be abused in no time.

Πήγη: Huffpost Tech Περισσότερα νέα...