Cameras are one of the most popular cell phone accessories, but the photo-snapping gadgets are being banned from sporting venues and guarded against at local gyms.
Camera phones have not been outlawed from intercollegiate events on campus but are forbidden at NFL games at Sun Devil Stadium.
"The NFL has a strict policy against photography at football games, which now encompasses the use of camera phones," intercollegiate athletics event coordinator Tyrone Figaro said. "Photography is allowed at college sporting events, so security guards won't be confiscating camera phones," he added.
The Student Recreation Complex and several other local health clubs do not have standing policies against camera cell phones but said they would attempt to safeguard their members' privacy. "There's no policy at the SRC that bans camera cell phones, nor have there been any reports of misuse or invasion of privacy," assistant director of recreational sports Doug Ewing said.
"I'm attending a seminar this weekend that will give me an opportunity to network with other club representatives to see if they have had problems with camera phones and what, if any, policies they have in place," Ewing added.
Kinesiology sophomore Katie McKeon said gyms should have no-camera policies.
"It's awkward to have someone taking pictures if you are in a setting like a gym, especially if they're masking what they're doing behind a cell phone," she said.
Of the six fitness clubs informally surveyed, only one had official anti-camera phone policies.
Shannon May of 24 Hour Fitness said camera phones were no exception to their existing no-camera, no-photography policy.
"Shortly after the camera phone's introduction to consumers ... we began reiterating that our in-club photography policy includes camera phones," May said.
Power House Gym, L.A. Fitness, Pure Fitness and World Gym do not have formal policies prohibiting camera phones.
Matt Padilla, a Talk Wireless vendor on campus, said camera phones are the most popular items sold at his booth.
"The camera phone is pretty much what everyone wants right now," he said.
Reach the reporter at kelly.vaughn@asu.edu.
