Big Brother Japanese cell phone

KDDI HQ

Compulsive mobile phone users beware: Big Brother could be watching you! Researchers at the Japanese phone giant KDDI have created a controversial mobile phone that can survey employees' movements, down to the minutest detail.  

The phone works by emitting the movements of the user, and beaming them back to HQ for assessment. The accelerometers used to detect movement are so sensitive within the handset that researchers can even identify when the user is climbing stairs or cleaning.

Mobile phone monitoring is not a totally new concept, as motion sensors can currently be used to detect simple movements, like walking or running. However, the new mobile has taken this a step further, and can pinpoint exact movements, like a cleaner scrubbing or sweeping.

"We are now at a stage where we can offer managers a chance to analyse[...]the behaviour of staff." Mr Yokoyama told BBC News, "But this is not about curtailing employees' rights to privacy. We'd rather [...] think our creation more of a caring, mothering system rather than a Big Brother approach to watching over citizens."

Such extreme employee monitoring has risen red flags amongst many people in Japan. "It beggars belief that a prominent company such as KDDI could come up with such a surveillance system. It's totally irresponsible." Said Human Right's lawyer, Kazuo Hizumi, "This is treating people like machines, like so many cattle to be monitored and watched over."

The argument will continue between the investment of cash toward worthwhile or invasive technology.

Ross Densley

Ross Densley is a graduate from Bath Spa University, and has freelanced for several magazines ranging across a section of topics such as animation, business, film and lifestyle. When Ross is not working he writes and edits his own satirical website.

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