Australia Bans Mobile Phones from Swimming Pools

BBC ^ | June 12, 2003 | BBC

[Mister Magoo]

Australia bans mobiles from pools

Say cheese ... but not in a pool or gym

Mobiles are to be banned from swimming pools across Australia amid fears that camera phones are being misused.

The ban will affect more than 300 gyms, pools and sports centres across the country run by the YMCAs of Australia.

People using the pools and changing rooms of these places will no longer be able to take their mobile phones with them, although other areas of the building will not be affected.

It comes as a proactive response to a potential problem, according to the chief executive of YMCAs of Australia Bob Nicholson.

"I can understand why they would wish to ban them but they would need to extend that ban to all cameras..." Nokia spokesman

He hopes the ban will become policy at all YMCA swimming pools.

The Royal Life Saving Society of Australia has also advised a further 3,000 public swimming pools to introduce a similar ban.

It is hoped the move will protect the privacy of both adult and children using the facilities.

There have been cases around the world of people using camera phones to take illicit photographs and more and more public places are moving to ban their use.

In Japan, some fitness centres ban the use of camera phones and the Italian information commissioner has issued guidelines on where and how such phones can be used.

Several councils in Northern Ireland have banned such phones from their leisure centres as have a number of swimming pools in Jersey.

In Saudi Arabia camera phones are banned altogether.

Blanket ban

Handset manufacturer Nokia believes camera phones are being unfairly picked on.

"I can understand why they would wish to ban them but they would need to extend that ban to all cameras," said a spokesman for Nokia.

He points out that with tiny digital cameras on the market, anyone wishing to take furtive photos would not need a camera phone to do so.

"People should respect other people's privacy and we point out in our handbooks that camera use should obey privacy laws," the spokesman added.

[eno_]

Within a month you will see bans of camera phones in all government buildings.

Sex is, of course, the leading indicator, but wait till you see the first cameraphone pictures of narcs, sleeping bureaucrats, etc.

[trickydick62]

Yes. Next they take the extreme step of actually banning cameras in these place. They I guess cameras with phones attached to them.

[weegee]

Those voyeurs who would photograph kids in the locker rooms are already in the locker rooms yet nothing is done to prohibit their presence. Sure "take a picture and it'll last longer" maybe true but the threat is already present even without any electronic devices.

The same holds true for members of the same sex who would photograph adults. We've been told that there is nothing to fear, that homosexuals aren't attracted to heterosexuals.