Always Watching: Apple Watch Design Reveals Creepy Camera Feature

Tech giant Apple has filed a patent for a radical change to its popular smartwatch that reveals the company’s potential plans to install a tiny camera in the device. The ability to take pictures of others without them noticing is a further advancement of surveillance capitalism and the continued erosion of privacy rights.

Forbes reports that Apple has filed a patent for an upgrade to its popular Apple Watch. The new patent shows that the device could include a tiny camera allowing users to take pictures without having to use their iPhone, but the camera appears to be extremely well hidden making it easier for people to covertly photograph and record others.

One design shows the camera placed in the watch’s “digital crown,” which allows the user to point their wrist to take a photo or video, using the watch display as a digital viewfinder. This will make taking photos and videos easier but will make it extremely easy to take photos of others without them realizing.

While Apple has been very vocal about its beliefs relating to user privacy, many of its latest devices have been used for invasive and creepy purposes. Breitbart News has previously reported that criminals were using AirTag tracking devices produced by Apple to aid in the theft of vehicles.

In a blog post, investigators with the York Regional Police Auto and Cargo Theft Unit warned residents that they have “identified a new method being used by thieves to track and steal high-end vehicles” in the area. The blog post states:

Since September 2021, officers have investigated five incidents where suspects have placed small tracking devices on high-end vehicles so they can later locate and steal them. Brand name ‘air tags’ are placed in out-of-sight areas of the target vehicles when they are parked in public places like malls or parking lots. Thieves then track the targeted vehicles to the victim’s residence, where they are stolen from the driveway.

Suspects have reportedly been placing the AirTags in “out of sight” areas of cars such as the inside of gas caps or various other crevices. After following their targets home, the criminals are reportedly able to hack the ignition of the vehicles with an electronic device “typically used by mechanics to reprogram the factory setting” before stealing the car from the driveway of its owner.

Read more at Forbes here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com