A proposal has been made in Ukraine to ban the muting of the camera shutter sound on smartphones

An online petition has been submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine proposing the introduction of a state standard that would prohibit the import and sale of smartphones with the ability to disable or adjust the camera shutter sound. The author of the initiative is asking the Ministry of Digital Transformation to develop appropriate technical standards, following the example of Japan and South Korea, to combat the covert photographing of people without their consent.

The petition was prompted by incidents of unauthorized photography in public places and the subsequent distribution of the photos online, which violates the Civil Code and the Constitution of Ukraine. In addition to technical restrictions on smartphones, the petition also calls on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take steps to increase penalties for covert photography and videography and the publication of such materials.

This is reported by the Judicial and Legal Gazette.

“The trend of restricting smartphones in schools is gaining momentum worldwide. According to UNESCO, by the end of 2024, 79 education systems (about 40% of the world’s) already had bans or restrictions on the use of phones in schools.”

Back in 2020, People’s Deputy Oleksiy Goncharenko submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada proposing to ban the use of mobile devices and other internet-connected gadgets in schools during class.

China’s Ministry of Education has banned elementary and secondary school students from using cell phones on school grounds.