Maybe.

ATLANTA, June 19 (UPI) -- Georgia Institute of Technology scientists say they've created a prototype device that can block digital video cameras from working in a specific area.

The scientists say the prototype -- which could be used to stymie unwanted use of video or still cameras -- uses off-the-shelf equipment to scan for, find and neutralize digital cameras. The system works by looking for the reflectivity and shape of the image-producing sensors used in digital cameras.

Associate GIT Professor Gregory Abowd, who led the study, says the camera-neutralizing technology shows commercial promise in two principal fields -- protecting areas against espionage photography and stopping video copying.

Researchers explain a digital camera's image sensor -- called a CCD -- sends light back directly to its origin rather than scattering it, making it relatively easy to detect and identify video cameras.

As long as they don't make these things illegal, it all fits within the rubric we call "progress."