Apple was just granted a location-based patent that allows them to disable certain iPhone’s from using their cameras and camcorders on their devices from functioning wirelessly. Now hold on a minute, Apple wouldn’t back the Government and impede freedom of speech would they? Of course they would. Now before I go off on a completely different tangent, let’s go over what this patent states. Take a quick read through the patent filing.
Apparatus and methods for changing one or more functional or operational aspects of a wireless device, such as upon the occurrence of a certain event. In one embodiment, the event comprises detecting that the wireless device is within range of one or more other devices. In another variant, the event comprises the wireless device associating with a certain access point. In this manner, various aspects of device functionality may be enabled or restricted (device “policies”). This policy enforcement capability is useful for a variety of reasons, including for example to disable noise and/or light emanating from wireless devices (such as at a movie theater), for preventing wireless devices from communicating with other wireless devices (such as in academic settings), and for forcing certain electronic devices to enter “sleep mode” when entering a sensitive area.
In a nut shell, Apple will have the control to disable your devices camera and video recording capabilities at will based on your location. If you or your device passes into a location that is “sensitive” off goes the camera. Now one could easily see this as a benefit since many users across the globe work in highly sensitive areas where a camera phone is not permitted on the property. Quite a few Government buildings have this rule in place and many employees either have to surrender their device, switch to a non camera device or leave them in the car. In these type of instances, we suppose a location-based bubble would OK. But will it stop there? Probably not, since full control would be granted to Apple which in turn means that Government’s could request specific locations and events to be ‘disabled” at will.
“If this type of technology became widely adopted and baked into cameras, photography could be prevented by simply setting a ‘geofence’ around a particular location, whether it’s a movie theater, celebrity hangout spot, protest site, or the top-secret rooms at 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California.” Says Michael Zhang from Peta Pixel.
Apple nor any Government wouldn’t abuse this type of ability would they? Why not? Twitter was forced to hand over tweets from an Occupy Wallstreet protester just last week. We aren’t allowed to video Police Officers doing their job, or breaking the law for that matter. While it isn’t illegal per say, it is still highly frowned upon and people like Michael Allison are facing life in prison for doing so.
Now, just because Apple filed for the patent and was granted the rights to it doesn’t mean you will see your camera sudden stop working at a PETA event. Often times though, a patent filing is what the future will soon hold.
The truth of the matter is our phones can do a lot more than they could 10 years ago. The fear of what they can do, what they can show and what they can prove to the world is not something that big business nor any Government across the globe wants them to do. When you can snap a 30 second video of police brutality and toss it on the web in under a minute, or you can catch the full Q&A of a delegates session unedited and unrestricted, scares the hell out of them. They would love to have control over our devices and the information that we put out, this is one step towards that control.
Go a head and leave you comments below. Try to stay away from the Apple to Android battle as this is much bigger than that. It is about the 1st amendment, it is about freedom of speech, it is about a lot more than a design with rounded corners and a spring back UI.
Source: NaturalNewsÂ
