# Camera Phones At Work?



## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

Every time I see someone ask a question about finding a cell phone without a camera, there are always those who say there aren’t enough people affected by this to worry about it.

This got me to wondering just how many people have restrictions on cameras phones at work.

Mike


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

We don't, but I've seen several "business" models of phones that are identical except the camera's removed.


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## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

I have a personal restriction against camera phones. Since I freelance, does that count?


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

*I do not have, nor do I know anyone who has, camera phone restrictions at work*

They tend to frown on it at the stip clubs though.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

spartanstew said:


> I do not have, nor do I know anyone who has, camera phone restrictions at work
> 
> *They tend to frown on it at the stip clubs though*.


Ba-Dum-Bump-Crash :lol:

Mike


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

We don't, but some of our clients do, so they either have to get a phone without a camera, or leave it with security. For obvious reasons, security wouldn't care if I had disabled the user's camera.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

dpeters11 said:


> We don't, but some of our clients do, so they either have to get a phone without a camera, or leave it with security. For obvious reasons, security wouldn't care if I had disabled the user's camera.


I found a couple of sites will remove cameras but it seems to be targeted at iPhones.

Then there's always those posts/sites that give you step by step tear down of a phone. I found one for the Captivate but I think I'll stick to swapping my SIM to my other phone when I go to work. :grin:

Mike


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

I know people who work at very large facilities that require cell phones to be checked in when they arrive at work, not as uncommon as you think. Most R&D facilities are like this. You will probably find that in these same facilities USB ports on PC's are disabled and the PC have no DVD or CD burners installed.


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## rahlquist (Jul 24, 2007)

I think its time for folks to wake up to the fact that you can get decent quality video out of a camera smaller than a 9volt battery and understand that a camera phone should be the least of their concerns. A camera phone is as much a threat in most cases as a non pirate is to the movie business. You will inconvenience the honest people but the criminals, they will laugh at your efforts. 

Maybe someone should try to completely bathe an area in high levels of IR. This might cause most digital cameras to at the very least wash out. Privacy form hidden cameras is gone. Time to accept that and move forward.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

LarryFlowers said:


> I know people who work at very large facilities that require cell phones to be checked in when they arrive at work, not as uncommon as you think. Most R&D facilities are like this. You will probably find that in these same facilities USB ports on PC's are disabled and the PC have no DVD or CD burners installed.


Our USB ports used to be disabled. However now they're enabled but we have an encryption program that automatically encrypts anything written to it. The idea being that you can only read what's on it from another machine with the same program.

Mike


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

rahlquist said:


> I think its time for folks to wake up to the fact that you can get decent quality video out of a camera smaller than a 9volt battery and understand that a camera phone should be the least of their concerns. A camera phone is as much a threat in most cases as a non pirate is to the movie business. You will inconvenience the honest people but the criminals, they will laugh at your efforts.
> 
> Maybe someone should try to completely bathe an area in high levels of IR. This might cause most digital cameras to at the very least wash out. Privacy form hidden cameras is gone. Time to accept that and move forward.


They can take a decent enough still to get some good info. I do agree with you though. Restricting camera phones is like putting a lock on your shed...it just keeps honest people honest. :grin:

Mike


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## HDJulie (Aug 10, 2008)

I work for a contract company that does work for the Government & Military so there are restrictions on camera phones. Until last year, no one at the company could have a company-owned camera phone. Now, though, those who work at non-Government or Military sites can get them (or rather, the phones provided for non-Government & Military sites now have cameras).


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## rahlquist (Jul 24, 2007)

MicroBeta said:


> They can take a decent enough still to get some good info. I do agree with you though. Restricting camera phones is like putting a lock on your shed...it just keeps honest people honest. :grin:


See now youre hearin me  its just like the BS laptop searches at the border when anyone could swallow a wax coated microsd card and carry that with no laptop. Do they really expect a competent terrorist to have their plans to blow up something in power point or an mp3 so they can observe the plans? Seriously?


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

rahlquist said:


> See now youre hearin me  its just like the BS laptop searches at the border when anyone could swallow a wax coated microsd card and carry that with no laptop. Do they really expect a competent terrorist to have their plans to blow up something in power point or an mp3 so they can observe the plans? Seriously?


In the end though, it doesn't change the fact that restrictions exist. Regardless of the futility of those restrictions, they are in place and are not likely to go away any time soon.

The real question is, are decent smart phones ever going to be available without cameras. When AT&T comes to work they bring some basic non-camera phones (all crap) and can special order a few BlackBerry's without a camera (don't remember which models). Beyond that there's nothing. :shrug:

Mike


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## Lee L (Aug 15, 2002)

My wife's company issued Blackberry has the camera disabled through their server. Not sure if they outright ban camera phones as lots of people she works with bring their own phones every day and they have functional cameras on them.


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

Mike, as you know, I work in a highly sensitive environment, camera phones are a huge no-no. To that end, cellular phones are outlawed too.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

smiddy said:


> Mike, as you know, I work in a highly sensitive environment, camera phones are a huge no-no. To that end, cellular phones are outlawed too.


We have a couple of areas where there are no electronic devices of any kind allowed. For 99% of the facility cell phones (sans camera) are allowed.

Mike


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## kc1ih (May 22, 2004)

I know at least one Nudist resort that restricts all cell phones to an out-of-the-way area that is visually blocked from the other areas of the resort.


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## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

kc1ih said:


> I know at least one Nudist resort that restricts all cell phones to an out-of-the-way area that is visually blocked from the other areas of the resort.


http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/security/c3eb/


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## rahlquist (Jul 24, 2007)

matt1124 said:


> http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/security/c3eb/


Exactly my earlier point.


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## afulkerson (Jan 14, 2007)

The courthouse in Detroit does not allow cell phone with camera's into the courthouse. They look at every cell phone that comes into the building.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

We don;t allow cell phones into the building at all, all cell phones are checked with security when the people report to work. Violation of the policy is a single strike - one warning, second time termination


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## SteveHas (Feb 7, 2007)

We are a producer (printer) of secured High School, and College testing material, as well as some HIPPA info.
As such there are severe limits on cell phone cameras for employees, and visitors.
Certain managers may carry, most can not.
Visitors must leave theirs with the receptionist.


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## islesfan (Oct 18, 2006)

Technology typically moves at a different speed than government and management. We always have to worry about managers who fear smartphones and Congressmen who try to make plastic guns and dinosaur cloning illegal.

As is usually the case, the problem is the person, the "solution" is to go after the item.


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

I don't know if my company has any restrictions as the issue has never come up. However, Mrs. Fluffybear works for someone who has extremely strict rules including a "No Cell Phone policy".


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## db758 (Jun 5, 2013)

I work for an engineering contractor for oil companies. I have worked for many different clients, and I don't know of any that allow cameras. Many locations employ 4000 + employee/contractors. Most people keep their phones hidden from security, and get away with it. It still remains a terminating offense if caught. Not worth it to me. I have been using a pay as you go, but even they are discontinuing cameraless phones.


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

I work on an Air Force Base. As you can imagine, some areas are VERY restricted. I wish I could show a picture of one sign outside a secure conference room, though. It had several pictures of all the devices that were NOT allowed in the room - pagers, cameras, phones, thumb drives, memory cards, etc, on the right side with a caption stating these were not allowed. On the left side it had a picture of a circus monkey riding a dog in a tutu with the caption 'THIS is allowed'.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

djlong said:


> On the left side it had a picture of a circus monkey riding a dog in a tutu with the caption 'THIS is allowed'.


That just means the Generals and their aides can go in.


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## Holydoc (Feb 18, 2008)

I also work on an Air Force base. All cell phones, computers, thumb drives, mp3s, and any other type of recording device must be checked into security before entering the main part of my building. Most of these "knee-jerk" reactions were caused by fears of people selling information.


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## bobnielsen (Jun 29, 2006)

Another confirmation that I made the right move by retiring.

Sent from my MB520 using DBSTalk mobile app


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

The rules at my work are not consistent.
For example - cameras and SD card / USB drives are not allowed, but you can take your cell phone with a camera (doesn't need to be a smartphone) in, as long as you don't take pictures. Ipods/ MP3 players also prohibited, but you can bring your music in on your phone.

OTOH - if they wanted to totally prohibit cell phones - I can imagine the outcry - provide us a secure place to put our cell phones and other prohibited items.


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

kc1ih said:


> I know at least one Nudist resort that restricts all cell phones to an out-of-the-way area that is visually blocked from the other areas of the resort.


Camera phones are also restricted at gyms. (Bally's, 24 Hour, etc)


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

Why can't we get a smart phone without a camera? Locally, AT&T will disable it and give me a letter but it isn't really disabled. It's just a pin number that restricts access but they give the number to the customer. 

What's needed is a smart phone without a camera installed. I have a Samsung Captivate that I pulled the camera out of and swap my SIM card into when I go to work. It works but isn't ideal. I wonder how long the SIM card will stand up the daily swaps.

Mike


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## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

I have several business and government clients. I have never been asked to relinquish my phone anywhere. Probably has to do with me being the guy that installed the security cameras, what's the point in hassling me about it ?? (city government, county jail, court house, hospital, nursing home, bars, realtors, restaurants, etc)


LOL, I do tend to erase security camera footage of me working on the cameras, I don't want extreme closeups of my nose out in the world! I also erased footage recently of me going ass over tea kettle after leaning on a rickety fence. It WAS funny, but I have my dignity.


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