You read that right, selfie-stick retailers in South Korea might end up serving time in jail. If you are wondering what a selfie-stick is, don’t worry, it’s nothing obscene. The selfie-stick is popular in South Korea as a device you attach your smartphone to and hold it out so that you can take great selfies that don’t really look like regular selfies. These selfie-sticks are usually Bluetooth enabled and that’s where South Korea saw the problem with them.
Sellers of uncertified camera extenders, as selfie-sticks are actually called, in South Korea will be subject to fines the equivalent of $27,000 and to 3 year jail terms. South Korea motivates its motion for the regulation of these contraptions saying that the Bluetooth function in them can be classified as frequency-emitting communication equipment. That means that each of these selfie-sticks should be tested and approved by the government before it could be sold by retailers.
South Korea has warned citizens about the dangers of these camera extenders and urged them to report sellers as soon as possible. The government has also initiated checks on retailers and e-commerce shops to see whether the gadgets they are selling are certified and approved by the authorities. The new motion to regulate Bluetooth enabled devices has its roots in South Korea’s Wireless Telegraphy Act which states that all devices that emit electromagnetic radiation should be tested and approved by national security for general use.
Tech enthusiasts and average citizens in South Korea are getting increasingly concerned about government intrusion in their private lives. The new motion regulating camera extenders has been received with reticence by citizens and retailers alike. Even though South Korea motivates the certification of these gadgets with health issues, citizens are voicing their speculations that the government is trying to spy on them on every occasion. They have also attacked the president’s “creative economy” goals, saying that they are more like “creative taxes”. Before drawing a conclusion, you should know that Bluetooth enabled devices do not emit dangerous levels of electromagnetic radiation.