A group of Korea’s major mobile-phone makers, including heavyweights Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics, are protesting a possible government plan that would regulate the use of camera phones in Korea, according to the Korea Herald. Company officials were not immediately available for comment.
Samsung, LG and other members of the Electronic Industries Association of Korea recently met with the country’s Ministry of Information and Communication to prevent possible restrictions on camera-phone use.
The move comes as government agencies around the world consider the potential effects of camera phones. Some health and recreation centers in the United Kingdom and Australia have banned camera phones over fears of inappropriate pictures of children.
The camera phone has been one of the most successful device innovations of the year, but clearly brings the industry a new set of challenges.
Interestingly, camera-phone maker Samsung Electronics also last week (see related story on page 15) banned camera phones in its electronics factories over fears of industrial espionage.
