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Camera Phones: Unseen Dangers
As hand-held communication
companies produce more and more devices, with advanced features that
are standard, the camera enhanced cell phone or the PDA (Personal
Digital Assistant) will surely become a favorite tool for the voyeur
or the molester in the exploitation of children.
The camera phone first arrived in
the United States in 2002. Today, virtually every new cell phone or
PDA comes with a built-in digital camera. Some of the newer devices
have a built-in flash, while others have a night-mode system that
allows photos to be taken in extremely low light situations. Each of
these hand-held communication devices have become so commonplace, it
is not surprising to learn that some of the earliest images shown to
millions on the nightly news of the New Orleans disaster or even the
Asian tsunami, had been photographed by survivors who were using cell
phone or PDA camera devices.
Unfortunately, law enforcement has
found that in many cases, child molesters will also utilize hand-held
camera or video enhanced communication devices to surreptitiously
photograph images of children. With just the push of a button the
child molester can send these images, which were just photographed,
to computer screens or to other hand-held communication devices
anywhere around the world.
History
Since the 1850s the process of
taking a photograph consisted of a professional or a relative who was
“quite visibly” holding a large camera, pointing the camera
at a subject, and then shooting. The subject of the photograph most
often was posing and in many cases wore a big smile. Usually the
subject of the photo was aware that his or her photograph was being
taken. With the exception of Polaroid® photos, once the photos
were taken the photographer would take the film somewhere to have it
processed and printed. Once the processed photos were retrieved, they
would be examined by the photographer or by family members and put in
an album, a picture frame, or simply stuck in a drawer.
Today’s digital technology has
changed the entire process of photography. The technology that both
photo professionals and amateurs use is almost identical. Digital
cameras and inexpensive computer photo software will allow any
photographer, even an amateur, to take a photograph and then correct
any mistakes, add colors, modify the landscape, and insert objects or
even people. An inexpensive home printer and photo paper means that
one no longer has to take the film to a store or lab to have the
photos processed.
The concept of the camera phone is
to provide the consumer with an entertaining feature wherein a user
could send friends or family a quick look of his or her life, via a
photo. Of course, the mobile communication companies knew that
consumer use of their camera phones would boost the data traffic on
the networks that the carriers had invested large sums of money to
build. Unfortunately, as with any new technology, it didn't take long
before unscrupulous people, including child molesters, put their own
spin on this device.
While many parents or caretakers of
children may be suspicious of an adult aiming a large camera toward
children at a zoo, park, or community swimming pool, no one may
notice a person holding a PDA or talking on a cell phone.
Particularly when the distinctive camera shutter click sound of some
of these hand-held devices has been disabled to further cloak the
fact the molester is inappropriately taking photographs of children.
Camera-inclusive mobile devices not
only allow a child molester to surreptitiously “snap“
pictures of children and teens but also to transmit the pictures
easily to other people who have the same sexual interest in children.
Outside the telecommunications network, the images can readily be
shared online with other molesters using email or instant messaging.
The photos can even be posted, within minutes of capturing them, on
hundreds of child molester or child-erotica-oriented internet web
sites that are more than willing to host “grainy” camera-phone-captured
images of children and teens.
Other Dangers for Children
When parents purchase a cell phone
or PDA for their child, most do it for safety reasons. Some single
working parents purchase the phones so that they can stay
“instantly connected” to a son or daughter. Unfortunately,
many young people today see these devices only as a direct link to
their social lives. With a cell phone young people can call, text, or
even send photos to friends, thus quickly establishing a network of
their own.
Today, camera phones are making
photos an integral part of some teen cell phone or text messaging
conversations. Teens are taking photos of themselves and then showing
them to friends and relatives immediately after they're taken. Teens
at another school or in another city can see photos of their friends
nearly in real-time on a portable device, in e-mail, or by viewing
one of the many online photo albums.
In some cases children or teens
will post their camera photos on random blogs or more frequently on
the popular teen social networking sites such as LiveJournal,com,
Facebook.com, MySpace.com, and Xanga.com. Most children or teens who
post their photos, along with the online diaries, naively believe
that these sites are restricted only to their “friends.”
This is far from the truth as nearly anyone with a technology
background or even just a little tenacity can view almost any of
these online diaries. Many teenage subjects of the camera photos do
not consider that anyone could observe photos of them drinking
alcohol, using drugs, or in some cases even having sex.
Most molesters are capable of
viewing any of these online diaries. Once the molester has viewed an
online diary with photos attached, he or she can easily right click
on the photos and copy them. The molester can then send the photos to
others who have a sexual interest in children or teens. In some
cases, the molester may also send the photos to his computer where he
or she can easily use inexpensive software to digitally modify the
photos. For instance, a molester can insert an adult, sexually
abusing the subject of the photo.
Protection
As a result of these and other
problems, camera and video-phones have already been banned at many
swimming pools and sports facilities in England, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.
In the United States, most of the
rules regarding camera phones are less formal. Government offices
(primarily courtrooms), health clubs, recreation centers, and some
businesses have instituted their own bans. Because of other dangers,
some in the technology industry predict that eventually camera phones
may be automatically disabled when the owners enter sensitive places,
like hospitals or banks.
Prior to mobile phones becoming
very affordable; many school districts banned them, fearing that gang
members and drug dealers were using them to commit crimes within and
around the schools. In recent years, that concern has largely
diminished, and many parents routinely purchase cell phones for their
children, in order to stay in touch at any time. Unfortunately as
more and more teenagers bring camera phones to school, photos and
videos of students taken surreptitiously by others, in school locker
rooms, showers, or restrooms, have forced many school districts to
address the privacy issues raised by camera phones.
Communication technology and
electronic devices are rapidly evolving. Adults must be aware of the
new technology and understand the features that are available on the
devices. Unfortunately, gaining such knowledge will require time and
effort. It’s important to remember that prior to a parent
purchasing any type of electronic communication device for a child or
teen, there should be a frank discussion of the many unseen dangers
involved with today’s electronic communication. |
