Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a prototype device that would block unwanted digital photography.
Basically, the technology searches for the retroreflective (means that is relfects light back to the source) CCDs from digital video and still cameras and neutralizes them with a beam of light, which would overwhelm the CCD.
It seems that the primary usage of this technology would be for movie theatres where piracy has become an international problem. Of course, the applications are endless.
The drawback is that this technology would have no affect on digital SLRs because of the nature of their construction, with their CCD sensors only being exposed when the picture is being taken and with any film cameras.
What they don’t discuss is the permanence of the neutralization process. It is unclear in the article whether the technology temporarily disables the recording device or permanently breaks it.
This of course could lead to many arguements regarding our civil freedoms. It should be interesting to see where this goes in the future.
