German cinemas must warn visitors about night vision goggles

The government of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt has determined that cinemas that want to detect clandestine videographers with camcorders using night vision goggles must make this known to visitors at the box office.

Because illegal copies of films are often made by recording them with a camcorder from the theater, the so-called cams, some cinemas have started to have staff equipped with night vision goggles to search for them. However, many visitors are uncomfortable with the idea that they could be spied on unnoticed, and the government of Saxony-Anhalt has decided to do something about it, so reports The Mirror.

The use of night vision goggles is not prohibited, but the cinema must clearly point out to visitors at the entrance that they are being used. As a result, they can possibly refrain from a visit if they do not like this form of supervision. According to the government, the use of these glasses does not fall under the law that regulates video surveillance, because the images are not recorded.