Do camera cellphones affect the privacy of people?

Answer 1

Both no and yes. When in a public place, we effectively give up our rights to privacy - we can be seen by a passer-by, someone may have a video camera, or a regular camera, or indeed a cell-phone, in which case a picture could be taken of us, and used in some way. So in this sense a cell-phone camera does not affect our privacy in any way. However, the interesting thing with cell-phone cameras is that they are, funnily enough, built into cell-phones. And since there is a difference between social rules and conventions for cell-phones and for cameras, it means that cell-phones will often be allowed in private places (e.g. a private wedding, meeting, bar). This practice, along with the subtlety of cell-phone cameras, means that pictures may be taken at private places, where people do have certain rights to privacy.