Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)

[IceRich]

Samsung Electronics bans camera phones from key factories
Mon Jul 7, 4:02 AM ET



SEOUL (AFP) - Samsung Electronics, the world's largest memory chip maker, said that it will restrict the use of camera phones at key factories and research centers to preclude industrial espionage.



The move comes amid concerns about the misuse of camera phones, which have become part of daily life in South Korea, one of the world's most advanced wireless markets.


People use the devices to e-mail photographs to friends but security experts have warned that camera phones could be used for industrial espionage. Fears about their use by pornographers have also been voiced.


"The use of camera lenses in mobile phones will be restricted at some semiconductor and telecoms factories as well as research and development centers," a Samsung Electronics official told AFP.


Samsung Electronics, the world's third largest handset maker, will allow visitors and factory workers to bring camera phones into factories only after their lenses were covered with a plastic sticker, he said.


"Such restrictions reflect our concerns about technology leakage and privacy," the official said.


Camera phones are now used widely in South Korea to e-mail photographs.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=1509&u=/afp/20030707/tc_afp/skorea_samsung_it_com...