I remember a while back Apple filed a patent that allows concerts to disable iPhones cameras if a certain signal is emitted from the stage. Apple never implemented this, but my pessemistic ass always try to think of worse case scenarios, like being used by government. Do you think this could occur in the future?
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36672001
You can search “Apple Concert Disable Camera” and find more about it.
I believe that eventually in the future it might become a “war” between the police having some form of device on them that prevents a phone from even being able to be turned on within a large radius, let alone being able to record audio/video, and those trying to record such acts. If anything, it might also turn into a thing of people turning to creative and innovative ways to get around that technology in that potential future and the police responding with updates that make whatever we use to counter absolutely meaningless.
It might turn into a thing - if it happens/becomes reality - that the vast majority people get used to it, similar to how in Japan, phones made specially for their market are required to have a sound go off when the camera is used. That’s a future we don’t want or need.
My one hope is that police departments (being bureaucratic organizations) might be so slow to update to the latest camera-disabling hardware / software they they may turn out consistently one step behind.
They will absolutely use this as a way to grub for money. It’s early, so I can’t think of how exactly they would spin this as a public safety need, but I’m sure there is a way they will twist it.
I can imagine those “support our police officers!” charities mailing out some nonsense like,
Signal jammers have been available for decades