Camera phones a liability, analyst says

A prominent analyst house has followed up comments made earlier this year against camera phones with a warning that they represent a significant liability or security risk.

The Meta Group has noted that most phones will include camera functionality in two to three years time. Adding the feature only adds around $2-5 per phone, it estimates.

However, Jack Gold, VP with Meta Group's Technology Research Services, said in a statement: "Most organisations that provide phones to their employees and that are evaluating new, feature-rich mobile phones should require the vendor or carrier/supplier to permanently disable the camera or provide a device without a camera."

He goes on to advise organisations try to stop camera-equipped phones entering their premises - "particularly those belonging to non-employees".

How this is policed isn't certain. The analyst suggests "firm policies" and education.

The main threat apparently comes from data leakage and possible capturing of how equipment is used, for example in manufacturing plants.

Already there has been an outcry against camera phones in certain countries for moral or other reasons.

Bookstore owners in Japan have been mulling measures to stop female shoppers from snapping pictures of magazines with their camera phones, a trend they termed "digital shoplifting".

Meanwhile Korean authorities were earlier this year considering a law which makes it mandatory for phone makers to install a "noise emitter" in their camera-equipped handsets.

It is forecast there will be almost a billion camera phones in use within five years.