App for disabling cameras?

[mikezq8ss]

Hey developers, I'm in need of help with something.

I work in a sensitive area where camera phones aren't allowed, and with all the new android phones coming out with regular cameras and front facing cameras it's nearly impossibly to get a phone that doesn't have a camera in it.
As of now, I have a Thunderbolt that I tore down and physically removed both cameras from, but not everyone out there wants to void their warranty and risk breaking stuff to get the phones apart. Well, is there any way an app could be written to disable the camera? Most places are only able to check and see if the camera works or not, they aren't exactly allowed to go through your phone and look at all your apps and everything. Even if they did, it's possible to name the app something that wouldn't draw attention to it I suppose.

The requirements I have at work now are- a disabled camera, a camera that can't read printed words on paper from 1"-2" away, or epoxy over the lense/broken lense.

I could honestly see a need for this. Maybe it won't be as big and popular as Google Earth or Angry Birds, but if someone could come out with something it'd help out a lot of people I know already... If there's anything like that out there now that DOESN'T require rooting (mine is rooted, I just don't want to be responsible for rooting 20 coworkers phones lol) please let me know so I can help my friends and coworkers out! If I knew how to write an app, I would do this in a heartbeat.

 

[Trusstopher]

I'm actually quite surprised that your Security Office would let a software fix be used as it is about as effective as putting a piece of black tape over the lens. Once it has been demonstrated as a non-functional camera, all you would have to do is disable the app at least or SBF your device at most and you would have a functioning camera again (like peeling off the electrical tape). It seems like you are wanting something that will disable your camera while at work, but keep the camera in tact for later use, which kind of defeats the whole purpose when the "later use" is inside your office building after hours for the secret agent man.

I say all this really just to ask: are you sure that a software based dis-abler is allowed by security before you try and have someone find or write an app that will do it?

 

[mikezq8ss]

The thing is, when they look at your phone they're checking to see if the camera is disabled. They're not going through your entire operating system, that's kinda getting into your personal stuff. IPhones are allowed to have a non camera profile set up and used. If a phone was rooted and cameras were turned off, that'd be good enough also (as we can't plug stuff into our work computers). The difference is, not everyone wants to root or tear their phone apart so this would at least allow them to try to be within the rules while still allowing them to use their cameras outside of work and on the weekends. I could physically reinstall my camera every night and weekend if I wanted to, or change roms on the fly from my phone if I wanted to... I'm just trying to make it easier to try and be within the rules for myself and others without disassembling the phone and forcing others to have to root.

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