Global sales of mobile phones that can take, send and receive digital colour photographs are accelerating, despite interoperability problems, and picture quality limitations.
Due to their size and ease of use, camera phones can go unnoticed in places where conventional cameras are not allowed. Accordingly, many gyms and swimming pools have decided to ban camera phones from changing rooms. In Japan, Singapore and China, such bans have been extended to schools and government buildings and have been enforced by authorities. Saudi Arabia has banned the use of camera phones altogether.
According to Jack Gold of META Group, camera phones represent a significant liability or security risk to business. They can, he warns, easily be used for the transfer of confidential business information and industrial know-how. In July this year, Samsung, a camera phone manufacturer, banned the use of the devices within some of its factories for this very reason.
Less obvious perhaps is the problem of harassment. E-mail harassment, unheard of a few years ago, is now recognised by courts and tribunals as an actionable form of behaviour by employees. The taking and distribution f photographs in the workplace without consent could be regarded in the same light.
Gold warned, "A clear policy of no camera-enabled phones (just as there is a clear policy in most companies that no cameras are allowed on the premises) is required and desirable." He added, "All employees should be made aware of the policy and be called on to actively enforce it throughout the workplace.
Organisations should ensure that the camera function is disabled or omitted on company phones given to employees, and that phones should be inspected before visitors and employees are permitted to enter company premises.
Secure organisations, such as government agencies, should carefully screen all mobile devices, including PDAs, for cameras, said Gold.