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Privacy

What are My Rights Against Video Surveillance? 205

Posted by Cliff from the this-is-not-a-reality-TV-show dept.
Violated Privacy asks: "A video bugging device was recently discovered in the bathroom of the house I share with three others. After sharing this find with one of the housemates, I am sure whose camera it is. Needless to say, we're both rather upset over the matter. What are our legal rights in this matter? It's not the government doing it, but another private citizen with whom we willingly (until now...) share a house. Are there special considerations? (Yes, I should ask a lawyer. I plan on doing that tomorrow when I get a chance. The problem is, most lawyers aren't exactly experts in this area.) Has anyone on Slashdot done research into this field of privacy law?"
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What are My Rights Against Video Surveillance? More

What are My Rights Against Video Surveillance?

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  • URL? (Score:5, Funny)

    by brunson ( 91995 ) * on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @02:59PM (#10376291) Homepage
    What's the address of the website you're on?
    • Boy, for someone that is so obviously pissed off that they were being recorded. They sure didn't hesitate for a second to post a link to a site where you can purchase it direct. Its almost as if this whole story was fabricated to put a little cash in some dumbasses pocket. Hmmmmm....

      • Re:URL? (Score:3, Informative)

        by SmittyTheBold ( 14066 )
        I posted that because it was the quickest way to make people understand what I was talking about. It was late and I had work in the morning. Story subissions are lame without links, and I didn't exactly feel in the mood to start building a web site around my discovery. Here [dugnet.com]'s my little makeshift page with a few more details on the insides of the bastard.
    • Check SkinnyWhiteGeekBoyAss.com, that's what category I'd fall under...

  • No rights. (Score:5, Funny)

    by christopherfinke ( 608750 ) <chris@efinke.com> on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:00PM (#10376305) Homepage Journal
    This is completely legal. There's no use going to the police; people do this all the time. You should probably just put it behind you.

    Oh, and could I have my video camera back? Thanks.

  • But of course. . . (Score:4, Insightful)

    by the argonaut ( 676260 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:01PM (#10376311) Homepage Journal
    Any lawyer you speak to is far more likely to be an expert on it than some random guy on /. (apologies to the lawyers in the audience). And even if a lawyer isn't an expert, s/he is probably more than capable of finding the answers or pointing you in the right direction.
    • While reading this I anticipated the second sentence to read:

      And even if a lawyer isn't an expert, s/he is probably more than capable of spewing off some legal BS and charging you $200/hr anyway.

      Besides, anyone with any savvy knows that if you put lemon juice on your face, video cameras can't record you.

    • A lawyer will also point out a few other possibilities, like maybe the roommate in question didn't know about the camera either!
      The story submitter needs to do some research (or at least post more info).
      At the moment we don't know if that clock-radio (or whatever it is) might have been picked up at a garage sale or eBay or god-knows where.

      (Now if the submitter knows for a fact that it was purchased new then it's a different story... :)
    • But of course. I'm not taking this as real legal advice; but I still thought everyone could perhaps give me pointers before I got a chance to talk with a legal expert. Don't worry, I'll be sure to let those who care know what happens.

      I have talked with a lawyer friend, and he is unfamiliar with criminal law but he cited numerous precedents in civil law. I'm pretty confident in the course of action to be taken, but it won't be pretty...

  • Looks pretty expensive (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:01PM (#10376321)
    I would say unplug it and hide it in a closet, then casually mention that the alarm wasn't working too well so you threw it away and bought a new one.

    Watch their reaction when they realize that their $350 just got tossed.
    • Actually, if you want to be really evil, just take the camera and hide it.

      Then act normal around said person. Never admit to taking it. And keep watch for other cameras.

      Of course, you have to know how to keep a straight face around people - not many people have this gift. But I would definitely get more pleasure out of having the person "wonder" who knew.... haahahaaa!
    • Better yet...

      break the camera into bits.

      Take a shit

      drop bit sof camera on top of the shit.

      don't flush.

      Ask him to remove his device from the bathroom.

      -Steve
    • Here's my suggestion:

      0) Replace the camea clock with a regular one
      1) Prit out the famous hello.jpg
      2) Point the camera at the picture.
      3) There is no profit, just fun.

      Bonus points if you install surveillance on the dude between 0) and 2) and send him a printout of his face in the "bueeee" mode.
    • How do they know it's a camera? Were they browsing the spy-supply website and happened to see that clock radio and now assume that it's a camera? That's a real Sony clock radio, which you can purchase without a camera. Or did they somehow find the receiver module? That's a 2.4GHz transmitter and it's not like they could flip through channels on the TV and suddenly find video from the bathroom.

      I think they need to take a screwdriver to that clock radio before making any serious mistakes.

  • What state? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Atzanteol ( 99067 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:02PM (#10376332) Homepage
    Different states have different laws on this... For instance, in Massachusetts so long as they weren't recording *sound*, then it's perfectly legal (yes, believe it or not!).

    We *are* trying to fix this little loop-hole, but legislation has tied the bill up for a bit...

  • Report it to the police (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Engineer-Poet ( 795260 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:03PM (#10376350) Homepage Journal
    In most places I've heard of, invasion of privacy is a crime; there have been numerous news items about people (mostly men) being prosecuted for putting cameras in restrooms and changing rooms. So go to the cops first. At the very least you'll get a police report out of it.
    • You might want to try the cops, but they don't know the law, they just enforce laws they think are important and easy to catch people doing. A lawyer is your best bet, their job is to know the law, especially since the laws vary from state to state.

      I do know that I've seen issues about this in public places (cameras in bathrooms) and the use of cameras in places like this were found to be illegal.

      Actually, a quicker cheaper thing to do would be go get a baseball bat and teach the person a lesson regardin
      • It's easier to get an eviction order and restraining order with a police report in your hand than a baseball bat. Also easier to sue for damages, etc.; if you use the bat on the wrong thing, you could find the tables turned on you.

        There may be other uses for a baseball bat in the resolution of this matter, but I would not presume to offer advice. I'm sure our imaginations are up to the task.

        • I used to be a landlord. Even with a police report, it can take 30-60 days to get someone evicted (at least in VA) -- or longer. It is not easy to get someone out of a building. If their name is on the lease (either alone, or with yours), unless you can prove they're breaking the law (and a police report doesn't prove the law was broken, but an arrest would), you probably won't be able to get an eviction.
      • Whether you call the police or a lawyer depends on what you're trying to achieve.

        If you want to press criminal charges (if applicable), call the police. Contrary to stated opinion, police do know the law (maybe not off the top of their collective heads, but it's pretty much a certainty that they have a copy of the statutes and prosecutors they can consult), and in the end the state is the entity that's going to prosecute the room mate, not your private attorney.

        OTOH, if you want to sue you'll need an att

  • call the police (Score:4, Interesting)

    by sribe ( 304414 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:05PM (#10376370)
    First, take pictures of the device so you have documentation in case the pervert housemate gets suspicious and tries to remove it quickly. Then call the police; in most states this is a criminal act that can get the perv arrested. (I recall a case in the past couple of years where prosecutors discovered that their state's law had been written before video was invented, and was worded in such a way that it only covered audio recordings. The perv in that case got off, but the state legislature fixed the problem promptly.) Do not hesitate about calling the police and getting this person in trouble; this is the act of a sick and potentially dangerous person who needs either intense involuntary psychiatric treatment or prison time, or both. Do not worry about your lease and so on, those things will work themselves out. Go to the police NOW!

    And remember, if your name is on the lease, you can grant permission to the police to search the premises without a warrant...
    • The heck with pictures of the device -- confiscate the device! Then find the receive if it's wireless, or the other end of the cable if it's not. Confiscate whatever recording/viewing equipment is on the other end, and any tapes you can find. Take them to another location and review the tapes at your leisure. Hey, if somebody wants to use several hundred dollars worth of equipment to violate your privacy, at the very least they should permanently lose their equipment. What can they do, anyway? Complain to t
      • I'd prefer to stay on the good side of the law, and there are numerous potential other plaintiffs in this case. At least one person who may have bene watched/recorded/masturbated to/whatever was under the age of eighteen, and I know *I* don't want to be holding the bag for child pornography.

        Besides, how do I expect to hold my invasion-of-privacy grounds by invading his? That definitely wouldn't fly in court.
    • >...The perv in that case got off...

      I'm sure he/she did. ;)
    • Did take pictures, but I'm not sure about the search aspect. I'll take that up with the police when the time comes (soon). My name is on the lease, but I would love to find a way to limit the scope of any searching/seizing done. I'd prefer not to have all of my electronics shuffled through and held while the courts grind away, and I know the other two (innocent) roomies feel that way too.

      (By the way, we *do* rather plan on finding a new house-mate, whether it be by his moving out or ours.)

  • Honestly... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Otter ( 3800 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:05PM (#10376371) Journal
    Realistically, does it matter? On the one hand, whether or not this is illegal, it's certainly outside the bounds of acceptable roomate behavior (to put it mildly). I'd be either getting out or kicking the perpetrator out immediately, depending on which option is available. On the other hand, are you going to sue the guy if you could? Unless he's loaded, there isn't a deep pocket available to make a lawyer bother taking you on.

    That leaves a criminal case, and fortunately you're not expected to do legal research before requesting one. If you want to go that route, call the police and have them and the local prosecutors decide what can be done.

    • The present people in the house don't want to push civil charges, but I can't speak for the people who had lived with him in the past. At this point I'm trying to keep myself out of trouble rather than get him in it.

      And yes, a changing of the guard is in the very near future.

  • Violence. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:06PM (#10376379)
    I don't understand why you wouldn't just beat the fuck out of the person for doing it? Whatever happened to direct justice/vengeance? You know, it's not a BAD THING to get your own justice when someone does something wrong to you. Fill up a pillow cases with bars of soap and everyone can have at the prick. Hey, maybe you can even videotape it!

  • Q I got for you'vs (Score:2, Insightful)

    by danalien ( 545655 )
    Are you more upset for:

    A) $PERSON invaded your privacy

    B) $PERSON caught you on $TAPE, $DOING what ever $YOU'vs where doing?

  • 1) As a member of the house, he can legally record anything happening in it.

    2) As long as he does not try to reap any financial gain from it, he can freely post it anywhere he sees fit. Yes, this means he could plaster it all over the web and you'd have no legal recourse (assuming you and your roomie are over 18)

    There was a case a while back of a father taping his twenty-something year-old daughter (without her knowledge) and posting the videos to the net. She brought him to court and lost.

    You can't

  • Hit them where it hurts. (Score:4, Interesting)

    by chris_mahan ( 256577 ) <chris.mahan@gmail.com> on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:08PM (#10376411) Homepage
    Reformat their hard-drive.

    (use a knoppix cd to boot the beast)(wear gloves at the keyboard)

    They'll assume drive failure the first time. The second time, they'll get a really uncomfortable feeling.

    PS: I don't actually advocate doing that. I would just move.
    PPS: If you really want to do something, call a lawyer.
    PPPS: Landlord?

    • "Hit them where it hurts"

      I'd suggest in the balls.

      Same advice if your roomate is female - the clitoris is quite sensitive (news to most Slashdotter's) and a good kick between the legs will have a satisfactory effect.

    • Re:Hit them where it hurts. (Score:5, Funny)

      by Otter ( 3800 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @04:13PM (#10377149) Journal
      (use a knoppix cd to boot the beast)

      Is there any question to which "You should use Linux!" is not the answer? ("What should I do about the hidden camera in my bathroom?" "Linux!")

      Anyway, unless the roommate has a really old computer, he'd be better off using a Gentoo LiveCD with its Pentium optimization. That should save at least four or five milliseconds.

      • (Yes, I'm the story submitter. Yes, I'm jumping on the humor train.)

        He's one of those WinXP guys with virus/worm infestations only dreamed of by Linux geeks. I suppose if he only gets women electronically, it seems fitting that his deseases come that way too.

  • Start by throwing the room mate out...now. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by j-turkey ( 187775 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:09PM (#10376426) Homepage

    Does their name appear on your lease? You may want to talk with a lawyer first, but if one of my housemates tried to pull any of that, I would likely change the locks and leave their possessions on the lawn for them to collect.

    There are some things that you shouldn't tolerate. I believe that this is one of them...regardless of the legality of their actions.

    As far as them releasing pictures of you on the can and in the shower, your rights vary from state to state (if you're in the US). Contact your state AG's office for details.

  • Call the cops. (Score:5, Informative)

    by FreeLinux ( 555387 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:10PM (#10376435)
    It's illegal in all 50 states (I'm assuming you're in the US). It often falls under the Peeping Tom laws but, there are also more stringent and specific laws in many places. In many states the person will become a registered sex offender, as they should be.

    Here's a case [usatoday.com] from 2002. This story [cornellsun.com], dated August 2004, sounds very much like yours.
    • It was recently discovered in Massachusetts that so long as no sound is recorded, it was perfectly legal to video tape somebody. There was a case recently where an offender was found 'not guilty' in a case like this. I don't have any links at the moment (heard about it on the radio), but there is a bill that's going through the local govt to correct this oversight.
    • Good cites, but other posters have mentioned that if the person lives there, the OP may have no recourse. So neither case you mentioned quite matches the circumstances. In some ways, that makes sense. By living with someone, you give up a large measure of privacy compared to the public which has no right to any part of your home, or even a landlord whose rights to enter your home are limited by law even though he may own the property.

      The OP's brings to mind one of those Fox shock shows from a few years ag

      • It's illegal in all 50 states
      Not so for Hawai'i... here the law reads that it is LEGAL as long as at least ONE of the parties involved knows about it.

  • Simple (Score:3, Funny)

    by bhima ( 46039 ) <Bhima.Pandava@DE ... com minus distro> on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:12PM (#10376460) Journal
    Pawn it...
    • Pawn it...

      I think you mis-spelled that...

      (But seriously, if the law doesn't provide for locking up this weirdo and destroying all the recordings, the law is seriously broken.)

  • Infect their computer (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    If the video stream goes to a computer, come up with a picture, which digitized would contain a JPEG virus and attack GDI+ interface of their Windoze machine.

  • Translation... (Score:4, Funny)

    by kenthorvath ( 225950 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:15PM (#10376477)
    ... I am thinking of setting up a webcam of my roommates and was seeking the legal opinion of non-lawyers.

  • Bug the dork, send the video to his parents (Score:3, Insightful)

    by EnronHaliburton2004 ( 815366 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:18PM (#10376518) Homepage Journal
    Revenge is a dish best served cold.

    Set up a secret camera in his room to record the dork. When you catch the guy smoking pot or masturbating, send the video tape to his parents.

  • Try the peaceful way. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Max von H. ( 19283 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:18PM (#10376519)
    Why don't you confront the person face to face before unleashing some greedy lawyer onto the case? If the culprit's one of your housemates, I guess you can just talk it over... I mean, if the recordings were only done for private purposes and only involve adults, kicking the guy out and destroying the evidence sounds like a reasonable punishment.

    Of course, if it's your landlord doing it and selling/sharing the stuff among sickos, it's another story.

    Just remember that not everything in life should be judged in court, dialogues can solve many things without getting to ruin one's life with punitive damages or jailing. Someone watched your butt, it's not the end of the world for Khtuhlu's sake! You'll save yourself a lot of stress that way and probably live longer :)
    • I agree. Even if suing is the traditional US way of solving every possible problem ;)

      If you cannot talk about problems with your housemates in a peaceful way, then you honestly have bigger problems than a fscking camera.

    • If the culprit's one of your housemates, I guess you can just talk it over... I mean, if the recordings were only done for private purposes and only involve adults, kicking the guy out and destroying the evidence sounds like a reasonable punishment.

      [perv]
      "Whew...got off easy on that one. Wonder how tech savvy my next roomates will be?"
      [/perv]

      Destroying the evidence? Not just the camera/radio, but also, all of his webspace, all of his CDROM's, all of his hard drives, etc., etc...
      Are you sure no other copies

    • I mean, if the recordings were only done for private purposes and only involve adults, kicking the guy out and destroying the evidence sounds like a reasonable punishment.

      It does? That sounds like no punishment at all to me.

      What is the disincentive to stop this guy doing it again? They should destroy all known copies, lock him up and/or fine him a fortune, and set a condition that if any copy ever surfaces in the future, he gets locked up and/or fined a fortune again. Something like this ought to beco

    • Re:Try the peaceful way. (Score:4, Informative)

      by SmittyTheBold ( 14066 ) <[deth_bunny] [at] [yahoo.com]> on Wednesday September 29, 2004 @02:34AM (#10381174) Homepage Journal
      Honestly, I'd rather not have made this discovery; I'd rather not be involved at all.

      The problem is liability. I know about the camera, as do both of my other victimized housemates. There have been other residents of this house eith the perv before any of us three came along. I have no idea if/when/how they'll react, but I definitely do NOT want to be on the wrong side of the law when that happens.

  • Totally depends on gender (Score:4, Funny)

    by R2.0 ( 532027 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:22PM (#10376560)
    You Roomate Action

    M M Physical violence, combined with targetted property destruction (erase HD, etc.)

    F F Same as above

    F M Police, court system - get him tagged as a sex offender for life

    M F Sorry, you are S.O.L. Can't beat her up, legal system won't help. Just try to get the tapes/data erased and kick her out. Of course, if she's kinky enough, maybe there should be a change in strategy.

    • M F Sorry, you are S.O.L. Can't beat her up, legal system won't help. Just try to get the tapes/data erased and kick her out. Of course, if she's kinky enough, maybe there should be a change in strategy.

      How many guys would actually give a crap if a chick were spying on them? C'mon. If it's there, and remains there, it means that she likes looking at your butt or your dong. If she's not nasty, why not try to get a piece of that ass?

      If she is nasty, well... consider your usage of the bathroom as a cha

  • Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:25PM (#10376583)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re:give us more info (Score:5, Informative)

      by SmittyTheBold ( 14066 ) <[deth_bunny] [at] [yahoo.com]> on Wednesday September 29, 2004 @01:52AM (#10381057) Homepage Journal
      Added a picture of the front of the unit to my page [dugnet.com].

      To answer your question, the clock just didn't look right. I'm not paranoid, but apparently at least curious enough to look closely.

      The clock/radio/camera had been displaced in the bathroom by a larger/better mini-stereo a week or two ago. This past weekend, it was put back up on the shelf and plugged in. That was the source of my initial curiosity.

      What got me really thinking was the lack of a tuning indicator. Actually, I was trying to figure out if the holes lit up with LEDs to show approximate tuning or what, and how the tuning of the radio worked. I peeled back the sticker on the front, and noticed the 3/4"-or-so lens assembly behind the leftmost hole.

      It appears the tuning indicator was one of the casualties of the conversion to a camera, though the radio itself still works fine. In the pictures, you'll also note that the space for the back-up 9V battery is taken by the transmitter. Otherwise, the clock is still as fully functional as the day it rolled off the Sony production line.

  • A suggestion... (Score:5, Funny)

    by jo42 ( 227475 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @03:37PM (#10376738) Homepage

    Hang a photo of the goatse guy in front of the camera...

  • Turnabout ... (Score:4, Funny)

    by bryanp ( 160522 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @04:05PM (#10377055)
    If he doesn't know that you know you could always give him a special show. May I suggest pointing it at images of a certain man of the goats we've all come to know and fear? Or perhaps his girlfriend in her tub?
  • If you are male, and your house mate is male, kick his ass. Twice. If you are female and your house mate is female, kick her ass.

    If you are female, and your house mate is male then get your brother or boyfriend to kick his ass. If you don't have either, get some guy who wants to be your boyfriend (but never will be) to kick his ass. In either case start listening to your mother when she tells you something is a bad idea.

    I have no idea what you should do if you are male, and your house mate is female.
    • I have no idea what you should do if you are male, and your house mate is female.

      Kick her ass. Equal rights, and all that.

    • I have no idea what you should do if you are male, and your house mate is female. That's too freaky and weird for me to get my head around.

      Only on /....

  • A California court held that upskirt video was not illegal [nwsource.com].

    The feds are working on outlawing [nwsource.com] peeping Tom activities.

    You need a lawyer to determine your rights which will depend on the laws and court decisions of your state and details like whether or not anyone caught on video was a minor (big no-no).

    Of course there is the direct approach [freerepublic.com].

  • Child Porn waiting to happen (Score:3, Insightful)

    by RLMorgan ( 74446 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @04:26PM (#10377308)
    If a minor goes into that room, it could become automatic child porn. I remember reading of a case of a hidden camera and the person who put it there LOL at the people upset about it. Until a 14 year old came forward and said they had changed clothes in that room. That gave the police all the probable cause they needed to confiscate everything and haul him away on a child porn charge. He now has to register as a sex offender.
  • You should notify your landlord about this. Plain and simple.

  • What Congress is doing about it right now... (Score:3, Informative)

    by Randym ( 25779 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @04:47PM (#10377520)
    Go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ and in the Word/Phrase box enter "Video Voyeurism". This will bring up the "Video Voyeurism Prevention Act of 2003".

  • Why post this here? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Nick of NSTime ( 597712 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @05:25PM (#10377920)
    Dear Slashdot, I am currently in county lockup for running over a homeless man in downtown Chicago. He was lying on a wireless access point that I wanted to warchalk. I'm using my one phone call to post an AudioBlog entry that will be crossposted to Slashdot, so I ask you, the Slashdot reader: How should I plead in my arraignment tomorrow?
  • OK, following up a question with a question:

    I know California has laws on the books about electronic surveillance ... although I can't seem to find them online. Maybe my Google-fu is weak today. I dunno.

    In any case, I have my house under electronic surveillance as part of a security system. I've got video feeding into Motion (http://motion.sourceforge.net), and recording any events. Some of the cameras are obvious, others are quite well hidden. I have signs posted by the front door stating that the house

  • Revenge (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Piss on their toothbrush in front of the camera.
  • You are perfectly within your rights to evict him. A civil suit should be followed up, and a court order to forfeit any recordings, along with penalties should any become public isn't unfair.

    If it were anything other than your personal bedroom or the bathroom, you might have an even more difficult time of this than you'll likely have... not that it will be easy.

    And as others have said, it's doubtful that police involvement or criminal prosecution will be possible. Shameful, that.
  • IANAL, but I am a law student (admittedly a lowly first-year).

    Your options here will definitely vary by what state you're in. There may be a state law against unauthorized recording (for instance, the one Linda Tripp violated in Maryland, although I don't know the particular law and I'm not sure if it would apply here).

    More likely, though, you could have a civil claim (not criminal), although this would again depend on what state you're in. This might represent an "intrusion upon seclusion" or "invasi
  • Call the police. This is most likely a criminal matter, so they would be the ones to contact first. There was a news story about a similar situation where a landlord was doing this exact thing. Needless to say, he got busted for a plethora of laws including child porn.
  • How much time do you spend there? Geez, man. Besides, those things have limited range, so it could very well be the person you're living with.

  • I mean, how much time do you spend in there? Jeez. Get a watch or something.

    If legal options are not available, and you feel like having some fun before leaving/making them leave, "replace" the clock with a different model, hide the bugged one in a dark closet, maybe point it towards Goatse. As has been suggested before. Oh, and make sure roommate #3 knows about the camera - they deserve to be in on the revenge.

  • reverse astroturf? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by gumbi west ( 610122 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2004 @08:16PM (#10379358) Journal
    Even though most who write in will talk about how awful this thing is (and 99.9% will probably mean it), this ad/article is not form them.

    This is obviously a reverse astroturf (is there a real word for that?). This guy gets his product put on slashdot (better advertising that having it be a popunder on new york times as far as I can see) for free!

    Way to go slashdot editors!

  • Depending on what state you live in it may be illegal. Especially since it is in the bathroom. I would report it to the police and approach a civil attorney about the issue as well.

  • Punish! Punish! Punish! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by theonetruekeebler ( 60888 ) on Wednesday September 29, 2004 @11:25AM (#10383754) Homepage Journal
    I'm sick and tired of everybody positively drooling over ways to fuck this guy over. Unless this is somebody you've hated for a long time and you've been dying to nail for something---anything---maybe you need to take a slightly more sympathetic approach: This is somebody with a problem and he should seek professional help resolving it. Confiscate the camera and confront him as a group. Tell him that this is intolerable and illegal behavior and whatever else you can prove to be true. Tell him that, morally, he's doing something sexual with a nonconsenting partner. Then demand that he go seek professional help. Hell, blackmail him into getting it. And if you decide to vote him off the island, he will almost certainly leave without a fuss.

    My concerns:

    1. Going legal will be expensive. And if it doesn't work, you've taught him that he can get away with it.
    2. Just kicking him out will put him in another roommate situation, exposing (sorry!) the new roommates to the same spying.
    3. Calling the cops might not accomplish anything either, which has the same side effect as (1) above. If it does work, it might ruin his life when the possibility for making his life better exists.

    Meeting with the landlord and having him thrown out is probably the most expeditious way of dealing with this. If the roommate decides to make a stink, the landlord should start formal eviction proceedings against him, and call the local reactionary newspaper columnist with a great story on how hard it is to throw a dangerous roommate out of a house in order to protect the other tenants.

    I freely acknowledge that you are under no obligation to do anything positive or helpful in your situation, and that under the law you have the right to be as destructive and punitive to this individual as you can get away with. There is a huge difference between having a right and doing the right thing.

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