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American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

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Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#11

Post by xdy »

Someone1234 wrote: post #7
mnm1 wrote: post #2

How can you have privacy concerns in a completely public space?

I think the people who disagree with this reply should explain their reasoning. You're in public on an aircraft, you have no reasonable expectation of privacy. The people around you, including the airline's staff, can listen to your conversations/see you. I'm not even arguing legally, even just in terms of common sense, everything you do or say is isn't private in those circumstances. So a camera being there (regardl…

This site reminds me of big bang theory.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#12

Post by tomjakubowski »

Someone1234 wrote: post #7
mnm1 wrote: post #2

How can you have privacy concerns in a completely public space?

I think the people who disagree with this reply should explain their reasoning. You're in public on an aircraft, you have no reasonable expectation of privacy. The people around you, including the airline's staff, can listen to your conversations/see you. I'm not even arguing legally, even just in terms of common sense, everything you do or say is isn't private in those circumstances. So a camera being there (regardl…

Sure, there are other, strange people on board. It would be uncomfortable if one of them positioned their face right in front of mine and stared at me, listening, the entire flight. The camera would bother me likewise.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#13

Post by 52-6F-62 »

cbhl wrote: post #8

Most of these are just COTS Android tablets. When they reboot the IFE, you sometimes see the Android soft home/menu button on the bottom. It's easy enough to repair, too -- just apply some opaque tape to the camera.

I appreciate your use of the word "repair" in this instance.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#14

Post by CydeWeys »

mnm1 wrote: post #2

How can you have privacy concerns in a completely public space?

I'm paying lots of money to be there. It seems like it's in an airline's best interests to not piss off customers by secretly filming them (or even appearing to have the capability to do so), given how creepy it seems to many people.

Unlike "completely public spaces", it's not free to be on an airplane. You can vote with your wallet in this situation.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#15

Post by imgabe »

cco wrote: post #6
mnm1 wrote: post #2

How can you have privacy concerns in a completely public space?

"To continue watching your in-flight movie, please watch this ad, note looking away from the screen will pause the ad while we wait for your gaze to return." That is an entirely realistic scenario, patents have been granted for this already. Regardless of an expectation of privacy it is potentially a terrible UX as well.

That's when you bring your own tablet with some downloaded movies.

I mean, yeah, it's conceivable that someone could try that. It is also conceivable that it would fail miserably.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#16

Post by bobthepanda »

Someone1234 wrote: post #7
mnm1 wrote: post #2

How can you have privacy concerns in a completely public space?

I think the people who disagree with this reply should explain their reasoning. You're in public on an aircraft, you have no reasonable expectation of privacy. The people around you, including the airline's staff, can listen to your conversations/see you. I'm not even arguing legally, even just in terms of common sense, everything you do or say is isn't private in those circumstances. So a camera being there (regardl…

It's public in the sense that there are other people are there, yes.

It's not public in the fact that you cannot just legally waltz into somebody else's airplane without permission. You pay a company to manage the experience in the airplane within their powers. It is perfectly fine for consumers to question why a hitherto unspoken contract about cameras directly observing a passenger's seat has been broken, and the camera placed there entirely as a result of the plane's owners.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#17

Post by Someone1234 »

cbhl wrote: post #8

Most of these are just COTS Android tablets. When they reboot the IFE, you sometimes see the Android soft home/menu button on the bottom. It's easy enough to repair, too -- just apply some opaque tape to the camera.

Indeed. What's interesting is that they used to be Linux tablets (i.e. non-Android) but newer generations have all been Android.

I'm guessing economies of scale precipitated the move. It has also come with a significant improvement in touch screen quality which is welcomed (the old Linux based ones had resistive screens).

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#18

Post by chooseaname »

mnm1 wrote: post #2

How can you have privacy concerns in a completely public space?

If I'm walking around, say, the Grand Canyon, you know, up top looking down. If someone is walking around filming a travel vlog and I happen to get filmed, ok, so what? Right? But if they run up and shove the camera in my face without asking for permission, that becomes rude and I should absolutely have some say in it.

If I'm in an airline, I should have some say if there's going to be a camera facing me the ... entire ... flight. That goes beyond just the casual picture or video capture.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#19

Post by imgabe »

smt88 wrote: post #4
mnm1 wrote: post #2

How can you have privacy concerns in a completely public space?

What definition of "completely public" are you using that would include a privately-owned airplane that I spent $100+ to board after going through a security checkpoint?

The fact that you are sitting in an open area with 100+ other strangers around you?

A shopping mall might be privately owned, but it's still a public space. Any place that is open to the general public is a public space.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#20

Post by rwc »

hprotagonist wrote: post #5

This seems like a cost issue. Aside from the privacy issues, it’s gotta be cheaper to buy a pile of COTS tablets and bolt them to your airline seats than commission a custom form factor and hardware spec. That said, this is actually a time when physically occluding the camera makes sense.

Interestingly, Delta just launched a group (Delta Flight Products) recognizing that this is an area for differentiation: https://news.delta.com/3-ways-delta-flight-products-revoluti...
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