[glenra]

Once again: If you read the actual patent ( http://www.google.com/patents/US8254902 ), the quote about some police activity requiring complete blackout conditions is actually in reference to the screen brightness, not the cameras. One aspect of the idea seems to be that the phones OF THE COPS would be able to go dark in response to a central command. It has nothing to do with turning off the cameras of citizen-journalists.

(jwz nails it here: http://www.jwz.org/blog/2013/08/oh-noes-apple-has-patented-b.... )

Here is the full paragraph from which the misleading quote was yanked:

> Excessive lighting emanating from wireless devices can also create disruption in dark environments. While it is well known that excessive or bright lighting in a movie theater can spoil the mood of certain movies, excessive lighting can also become a more serious issue in other contexts. For example, darkrooms used to develop film can only tolerate very low amounts of ambient lighting. Some biological labs also require low levels of lighting in certain instances (for example, as in the growth of light-sensitive bacteria). Covert police or government operations may require complete “blackout” conditions. A person's sleep can even be interrupted by a bright flashing or modulating display (such as to indicate an incoming call).