Korean Govt

Korean Govt. Mandates Audible "Beep" for Camera Phones to Ensure Privacy

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 12, 2003 - 7:46am.

Seoul, South Korea -- In an effort to address privacy issues and cut down on clandestine pictures taken in "compromising situations," the Korean government has ordered manufacturers of camera cell phones in the country to engineer them so they sound a 65-decibel "beep" when a picture is snapped, Reuters reported. The government action comes after such events as a Korean woman's apprehension after selling pictures taken with her camera phone in a women's spa on the Internet. It is estimated that one in five cell phones in South Korea is equipped with a digital camera.