Spy pen is a device that contains a camera within the tip of the pen. On the back of the spy pen is a USB port that can plug into a computer so its video can be uploaded directly to the computer. The spy pen camera has practical applications like recording lectures, but it can also be used to tape individuals without them realizing it. That aspect raises some ethical considerations about how the pens are used.
Battery
The spy pens can only record for about 3 minutes per gigabyte on a limited life battery. Longer-lasting batteries take up too much space and won't fit in a convincing pen.
Identity Theft
Individuals writing checks or punching a personal identification number into an ATM could have sensitive information taped by someone using a spy pen according to Florida League of Cities. However, the spy pen user would need to be very close as the video quality isn't sharp enough to record small print.
Privacy
Spy pens raise a variety of ethical issues, especially with regards to privacy. Individuals who have conversations or engage in actions they believe are private can be recorded and that recording can be easily distributed to the web. For example, consenting adults in sexual encounters have been taped using devices like these. It is illegal to record a conversation without the permission of those involved in the conversation.
Stalking and Sexual Harassment
Those who discover they have been taped by a hidden camera of any kind can experience emotional trauma, according to the website Sexual Harassment Support. Such cases are also subject to prosecution. The Independent of England reported on an incident in April 2010 where a university lecturer in Great Britain had to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to placing a mini-camera in a women's restroom.
Tags: been taped, have been, have been taped, Sexual Harassment