I found some claims that it is illegal to disable the shutter sound on phone cameras in some countries. However, I found few reliable references on the matter. Do you know of any laws in your part of the world that mandate the loud clicking sound every time you take a picture?
Here is what I was able to find:
Japan: ?? (seems device manufacturers voluntarily made shutter sounds mandatory; found no references to an actual law)
South Korea: 64-decibel shutter sound mandated by law since 2004 (secondary source; could not find a primary source in English)
EU: ?? (found no references)
USA: ?? (there was a bill proposed in 2009, but it did not pass)
Help me determine the legality of turning off the camera shutter sound in various countries / states.
PS. There is an obvious tension here between (1) my freedom, as the device owner, to turn off the shutter sound, and (2) my expectation of privacy, i.e. that others will not take pictures of me in public without my knowledge / consent. This question is NOT about whether (1) trumps (2) -- that is subjective. And yes, I know you can disable the shutter sound if your root your phone. This question is ONLY about where the legal boundary lies in various parts of the world.
