For those of you who haven’t heard, Apple has patented a device that will disable iPhone cameras in theaters and other live performance venues. The way it works is an infrared beam will be sent to the iPhone camera, forcing the phone to display an error message and impede the recording. While it is great for preventing copyright infringement and pirating Broadway musicals and movies, it poses a major problem.
We live in a society where terrorist attacks and mass shootings are a real issue to be concerned about. With an infrared device interfering with iPhone cameras, we lose the one piece of solid evidence that has assisted law enforcement in such horrific events as the Paris bombings, the Colorado movie theatre shooting, and the Brussels terrorist attack. While it is wrong to record many of the events where these attacks occurred, the aftermath was made slightly more clear by eyewitness accounts, security footage, and, most importantly, live footage from cellphones of the people attacked or present. To allow this device to exist in live performance venues takes away the sense of security created by our second-of reporters.
The world we live in is unfortunately fed by these second-of reporters. News travels faster today than it ever has. All it takes is an upload (accompanied with a hashtag) and a retweet or a share, and all of a sudden, news is being created. Celebrity deaths and terrorist attacks are found out through Twitter before the 8pm evening news. By the time it reaches ABC, CNN, or NBC it has already been tweeted about, and condolences and reflections have already been made about the event that occurred.
Another issue with this device is the impediment it creates on saving memories. While it is generally acknowledged that Broadway and movie theaters do not allow the use of cell phones, not many concert venues prohibit the use of cell phones. Many artists also do not prohibit the use of cell phones at their concerts. While some do acknowledge the lack of “living in the now” that cell phone recording creates, many artists ignore their fans recording their performances. A concert is a special experience not many people experience, because of lack of funds or inability to travel to attend, and video recordings allow many fans to be as close to live with their favorite performers as possible. Live performances also give artists the chance to speak to their fans in more ways than just through their lyrics.
There have been many shows where an artist will stop the concert to inspire their fans or address a current issue going on in the world (see any Adele, Beyoncé, Florence, or The 1975 concert). To limit these words of inspiration to only the patrons fortunate to attend is an incredible disservice to the thousands, and sometimes millions, of fans around the globe that want to follow and listen to their favorite singers words of inspiration.
It shouldn’t be up to the venue to decide what can and can’t be recorded. It should be up to the artist performing and the fans attending to respect the desires of the artist. If the artist is truly as important to the fans as the fans claim they are, the fans should be willing to respect their wishes when it comes to recording.
