privacy invasion

We are in an era where video cameras are in a wild assortment of shapes and sizes.  The “spy camera” industry has just exploded in the past 5 years and the proliferation of adult web sites that cater to hidden camera video has been more than exponential.  With that said, the natural question is why aren’t there more news stories on this?  Many are planted.  Few are caught.

Today, you can buy a color camera with good resolution for about $75.00.  These are just not cameras.  They also have a built-in battery and an SD card.  Going further, the chip is programmable in a number of ways with the most frequent setting being motion-recording only.  Motion-only recording triggers the camera to record when it detects motion and stop once the motion stops for a period of time.  By doing that, a complete unit is no bigger than your thumb and can record hours of video.

Another threat is just the common cell phone.  In unisex fitting rooms, the dividing wall does not always go to the floor and to the ceiling.  There is no standard design for fitting rooms so we all have different experiences.  A male who is in the stall next to a female can easily peer over or under the wall to record.  With the new selfie-sticks, the range of reach could potentially overcome even high walls.

As a security expert witness, I have been involved in several hidden camera cases in both restrooms and fitting rooms.  The cases involve all types of cameras, including ones that are wi-fi supported.  Negligent security cases are often filed in these circumstances especially when a plaintiff learns their images have been uploaded to the internet.  The Erin Andrews case is an excellent example of the use of a cell phone to secretly record someone.

Be very aware of your surroundings but also understand that these cameras can be disguised as almost anything from a smoke detector to a working electrical outlet.