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Laws Cannot Cope With New Technology, Say MPs
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PERVERTS with camera phones are using crowded shopping centres to take photos up women's dresses. Models striding the catwalk in fashion parades also are targets for the phone fiends. Recent cases were revealed in a list of "techno pervert" examples police handed to a parliamentary committee examining laws on the criminal use of surveillance devices. The latest revelations follow the discovery of a hidden spy camera in a female shower block at an Adelaide boarding college - Lincoln College - is November last year. Police investigations failed to find the camera's owner. Detective Senior Sergeant Nick Pippos, from the police e-crime branch, told the committee a recent shopping centre incident at Salisbury was typical of the trend towards misuse of small cameras and camera phones. A man was using his phone to take images up a woman's skirt when her partner noticed what was happening. He challenged the man and police were called. Greens MP Kris Hanna, one of six members of the Legislative Review Committee, has criticised the lack of Government action on laws that cannot cope with the new technology, "I introduced a Private Member's Bill in 2003 to amend the Listening and Surveillance Devices Act, but it's still languishing in a committee," he said. "Since then we've had the Lincoln College case where a camera was hidden in the women's showers and now these latest examples." Under current law there is a $10,000 fine or two years' prison for spying with a listening device. "My amendment extended these penalties to a person found spying with a camera," he said. Mr Hanna said the shopping centre stores were a problem area for police. "They told us they were prosecuting in some cases, but in other areas the law was less clear. "In the case of the fashion parade, are models on catwalks fair game? "Laws that deal with indecent behaviour were designed for a different era - it's time to catch up." Liberal MP Dorothy Kotz, also on the committee, said the police briefing raised even more questions about new technology and the law's inability to capture its misuse. "It's a significant issue - it's becoming exceedingly dangerous in terms of invasion of privacy," Ms Kotz said. Police also expressed concern about the range of listening and surveillance devices available in Adelaide shops. They include- WALL clocks with a hidden camera. COMPUTER speakers with colour camera hidden inside. MOBILE cameras that look like a mobile phone. BEDSIDE radio/clock camera. Operates as normal but with a hidden camera inside. TELEPHONE bugging devices. WALL microphone that allows people to listen through walls. The committee also was told of surveillance devices being used in a form of industrial espionage between drug gangs. Mr Hanna said the committee was told bikies had planted devices in tattoo shops to keep up with possible drug deals by rival groups. The committee meets again next month to consider the information from police. Last year Attorney-General Michael Atkinson said he was "eager to see their report as soon as possible". Mr Hanna said the changes needed in the law were taking too long. Section 23 of the Summary Offences Act, dealing with "indecent behaviour", dates back to 1953. "The penalties are merely a $1250 fine or three months in prison," Mr Hanna said. Sunday Mail (24-4-2005) Kevin Naughton |
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