We're Jammin', Hope You Like Jammin' Too

theodp writes "Slate ponders whether a climate where anything can be photographed or surreptitiously recorded means the once-esoteric world of cell-phone jamming will become mainstream. Sites now offer portable cell-phone jammers that can provide you with the same kind of security bubbles used to thwart industrial spies, hostage-takers and bomb detonators. While actively jamming a cell-phone signal is illegal in the US, a distributor reports most of his sales go to US customers, including universities which use the technology to stop students from diddling away on phones during lectures."

Comments

Illegal in the US?

[Trbmxfz]

Sorry, but we cannot sell this cell phone jammer to UK customers

Apparently, it's not very legal in the UK either :)

Jamming= Illegal

[pvt_medic]

The operation of transmitters designed to jam or block wireless communications is a violation of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended ("Act"). See 47 U.S.C. Sections 301, 302a, 333. The Act prohibits any person from willfully or maliciously interfering with the radio communications of any station licensed or authorized under the Act or operated by the U.S. government. 47 U.S.C. Section 333. The manufacture, importation, sale or offer for sale, including advertising, of devices designed to block or jam wireless transmissions is prohibited. 47 U.S.C. Section 302a(b). Parties in violation of these provisions may be subject to the penalties set out in 47 U.S.C. Sections 501-510. Fines for a first offense can range as high as $11,000 for each violation or imprisonment for up to one year, and the device used may also be seized and forfeited to the U.S. government

From
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/cellular/operatio ns/blockingjamming.html

Safe Haven

[nodwick]

If you read the fine print (which actually isn't on the product page as far as I could tell, they say that you have to have an "approved phone". From The Register:

The snag is that Safe Haven technology needs to be integrated at the time of manufacture into new devices or installed as a Java download update to suitable equipment already in the market.

"You need to have an approved camera," Blagden admitted, adding that the incorporation of Sade Haven technology is unlikely to affect handset prices.

In other words, like most DRM-type schemes, it only works if your camera "supports" this feature. And just like DRM, I don't think it's going to be very popular among consumers -- this is a "feature" that benefits the guy trying to stop the camera user, not the guy buying and paying for the phone. I'd especially think that industrial spies would be smart enough to get a phone that didn't support this.

Re:mixed bag to be sure

[Brandon30X]

Well that's not exactly a great idea, now you would be transmitting a signal, just like a cell phone, as well. And the other persons phone will still try to keep in contact with the tower, so it will transmit periodically, so now you have two devices transmitting RF radiation near the medical equipment. Jamming is like screaming in someone's ear in order to keep them from hearing someone else talk.