New 'silent camera' apps cause plague of voyeurism in Japan

• 60 per cent rise in illicit photography

• Apps let users take photos - but only show innocent-looking emails on screen

• Silent camera apps already on sale in West

By Rob Waugh

Last updated at 5:44 PM on 2nd January 2012

Police say that the number of 'illicit photography' incidents in Japan has shot up 60 per cent - driven by apps designed to let users take stealthy photos

Most smartphone cameras have a built-in shutter noise to prevent the camera being used to take pictures without people's consent.

But a new wave of 'silent' apps - some specifically designed for voyeurism - have been blamed for a huge rise in illicit photography in Japan.

There were 1,741 incidents last year, according to a report in Mercury News, an increase of 60 per cent on the figure five years ago.

The problem is blamed on the rise in 'silent camera' applications - including ones which deliberately conceal what the user is doing by putting an innocent-looking email or text message on screen while he or she photographs.

There are dozens of silent camera applications already available on Android Market and iTunes store - and on Android particularly, there are several that appear to market themselves as being for stealthy photography.

'The latest applications include 'upgraded versions' that enable people to silently take photos while an email or website is displayed on the phone?s screen to provide cover for the surreptitious picture-taking,' said the report.

Japanese academics have called for regulation of silent photography applications - saying that they are being used for crimes.

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With Google's 'anything goes' policy on Android, where applications are not vetted before publication on Market, and users can also download apps from elsewhere on the web, it will be very difficult to police.

A silent camera app on Android market - it says 'Silent Snap Camera allows u to take photos without the annoying camera click! This setting is disabled on many phones Silent Snap will override this for u to take silent shots or use spy camera style'

Most smartphones also include a way of disabling the noise of camera applications even in the built-in apps.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/dailymail/ScienceandTech/~3/KN0hlxaxlz0/New-silent-camera-apps-cause-plague-voyeurism-Japan.html

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