Don't even think about swiping that Santa photo

Georgia Tech researchers could put thieves, perverts on defensive with security technology to block unwanted digital photography.

Researchers have developed digital camera-blocking technology they say could be used for everything from keeping perverts from snapping photos in private places to preventing industrial and government espionage and illegal video copying at movie theaters.

And yes, the technology could even stymie those of you who slyly snap pictures of your kids with Santa at the mall so as to avoid paying the professional photographers on hand.

The new system developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology uses off-the-shelf gear -- including lighting equipment, a projector and a computer -- to check for and neutralize digital cameras in a defined area. The system works by spotting the reflectivity and shape of the image-producing sensors used in digital cameras and shining a light at it to render any images useless.

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Researchers have developed digital camera-blocking technology they say could be used for everything from keeping perverts from snapping photos in private places to preventing industrial and government espionage and illegal video copying at movie theaters.

And yes, the technology could even stymie those of you who slyly snap pictures of your kids with Santa at the mall so as to avoid paying the professional photographers on hand.

The new system developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology uses off-the-shelf gear -- including lighting equipment, a projector and a computer -- to check for and neutralize digital cameras in a defined area. The system works by spotting the reflectivity and shape of the image-producing sensors used in digital cameras and shining a light at it to render any images useless.

A future commercial system might use invisible infrared lasers to help sniff out unwanted cameras.

"The biggest problem is making sure we don't get false positives from, say, a large shiny earring," says Jay Summet, a research assistant who is working on the prototype.

The researchers say that spotting still cameras might be easier than ferreting out video cameras because the image sensors in most cell phones and digital cameras are easier to pinpoint.

The technology is being prepped for commercialization through a new company called DominINC formed by Gregory Abowd, an associate professor leading the project.

Georgia Tech is a hotbed for network-oriented research, from work on optical-wireless access nets to the latest in wireless antenna technology.