Samsung Bans Camera Phones

Local reports in South Korea are suggesting that Samsung, a manufacturer of camera phones has taken the step of banning those same handsets from its factories, over fears of industrial espionage. The ban is effective from next week, so presumably this week the factories will be filled with spies and their phones.

"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.

Visitors to the company's facilities will be allowed to keep their phone, but it will have an obscuring sticker placed over the phone camera lens.

"Some pointed out that this is a violation of individuals' rights to purchase and own camera phones, but the concern about possible leakage of core technologies is so great that we have decided to ban camera phones in the workplace," a Samsung executive told the Korea Herald.

The Gumi factory will be excluded from the company-wide ban as it produces mobile handsets including camera phone models."

Posted to the site on 8th July 2003