Precaution or paranoia?
This evening, I was standing in a subway station with nothing more dangerous in my hands than a camera when I was stopped by the police, who politely informed me that taking a photo inside a station is not permitted. Maybe I'm naive, but I can't imagine what useful information a terrorist could possibly gain from a shot of an interesting bit of architecture.
posted by Shira Salamone at 10:18 PM
9 Comments:
answer: camera cell phone question: what is so incredibly stupid about this?
Okay, so I *am* naive--this is a privacy issue, not a security issue? I hadn't thought of that, and it should have been obvious. 'Scuse me while I go wipe the egg off my face.
Sigh. Have some mercy on Ms. Low-Tech. I can barely even figure out how to use the *phone* part of my cell phone, much less the *camera* part. And don't even get me started on text messaging. (What's that?)
it's not at all that you are naive -- just that the government's efforts for security don't consider camera phones. that's what's incredibly stupid.
Oh! Good point! So all you have to do is whip out your cell phone, point and shoot, then upload the photos to a computer and attach them to an innocent-looking Instant Message to someone not yet known to be a member of Al Qaeda.
But again, what useful information could a terrorist gain from a shot of an interesting bit of architecture? If you'll pardon the pun, I think I'm still missing part of the picture.
Shira,
There are a number of elements. A terrorist might take pictures of the area so that they can determine structural weaknesses.
They might take pictures to try and determine how much traffic the area receives and at what times it would be heaviest.
All of this information could be used to try and plot an attack that would inflict the maximum amount of damage possible.
I've already posted, as I recollect, 4 photos and 1 video of a subway station, plus a photo of a gorgeous chandelier in Grand Central (think "Phantom of the Opera"). Should I delete them?
I don't think that you have to. Much of that is already out there.
Maybe so, especially the Grand Central shot, which has probably been photographed by thousands of visitors.
Post a Comment
<< Home