Guardian: Kuwait Moves to Ban Digital Camera Use in Public

Politics International Politics
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Uh, really?[quote=“Guardian”]Photographers in Kuwait are facing a ban on the use of larger digital cameras in public places, according to a local media report.

Three government ministries in the Gulf state have outlawed the use of “digital SLR” (single lens reflex) cameras in public for all citizens except accredited journalists, according to the Kuwait Times.

The Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Finance implemented the ban late last week, according to the English-language newspaper. Smaller digital cameras and mobile phones are understood to be exempt from the ban.

The government has yet to issue a statement on the reported ban, and the Kuwaiti embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment when contacted today.

The Kuwait Times reports: "What most Kuwaiti photographers have come to wonder is how such a decision could be reached by authorities, especially considering digital cameras and cell phone cameras have the same abilities.[/quote]

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Odd.

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It sounds like this is the direction countries like the US and UK headed as well.

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Why do you say that? I know in the US people are getting in trouble for photographing, or in more cases, video-taping the police, but what have you heard about cameras being banned?

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ughh banning DSLRs? Yeah because people can’t have an interest in photography? I can still whip out my cell phone or a digital camera and take pics of you in public. but not a DSLR (damn those cameras cost 600usd+)! If it was a security concern they could just limit the lense size. this just seems like a really arbitrary ruling.

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And what if you use an old chemical SLR? :ponder:

Next they outlaw blue cars. Green underpants. Digging your nose with your right hand.