Imagine: you're walking down the street when you see police officers slamming a woman to the ground. They're exhibiting a shocking use of force -- one officers pushes her face into the ground. Another sticks his knee into her back. You become worried. You pull out your phone to record the incident -- only to have your camera mysteriously shut off. With Apple's
newly patented technology, this incident could become a reality.
The technology allows cameras to be disabled through special infrared sensors, allowing a third party to disable your camera remotely.
The release of this technology would have huge implications, including the censoring of political dissidents, activists, and citizens who are recording police brutality.Sign this petition to send a message to Apple: Don't release technology that would allow third parties to remotely disable our iPhone cameras!
Apple has justified the technology by saying it could protect intellectual property. It gave an example: making sure no one can record at a concert venue. But this example comes from the flawed premise that someone can truly own and control experiences and ideas.
In reality, this technology blatantly tramples on freedom of expression.Recordings of police brutality come to mind in particular. These videos have been critical in garnering investigations into incidents like the recent police killings of
Philando Castile and Alton Sterling.
Without videos of these incidents, the public may have never known they occurred. Sign this petition to send a message to Apple: Don't release technology that would allow third parties to remotely disable our iPhone cameras! Imagine: you're walking down the street when you see police officers slamming a woman to the ground. They're exhibiting a shocking use of force -- one officers pushes her face into the ground. Another sticks his knee into her back. You become worried. You pull out your phone to record the incident -- only to have your camera mysteriously shut off.
Apple's newly patented technology would allow this incident to become a reality
. We the undersigned are asking you not to release technology that would allow third parties to remotely disable our iPhone cameras.
You have justified the technology by saying it could protect intellectual property, like making sure no one can record at a concert venue. But this example comes from the flawed premise that someone can truly own and control experiences and ideas. In reality, this technology blatantly tramples on freedom of expression.
Recordings of police brutality come to mind in particular. Cell phone videos have been critical in garnering investigations into incidents like the recent police killings of
Philando Castile and Alton Sterling.
Without videos of these incidents, the public may have never known they occurred.
Recordings of police brutality come to mind in particular. These videos have been critical in garnering investigations into incidents like the recent police killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. Without videos of these incidents, the public may have never known they occurred.
Please don't release technology that would allow third parties to remotely disable our iPhone cameras. Thank you.
