Again, having experience with secure areas and mere possession of a cell phone with camera in such places, I think it is "ignorant" to take actions to conceal the camera and try to sneak through secure areas with it. Specifically:
1. As you know, the Pearl's camera will still work without the battery cover on it. This fact is easily discovered by law enforcement or security personnel.
2. In some jurisdictions, there are signs posted that warn it is a crime to merely possess cell phones with cameras in secure areas. E.g., Some federal courthouses prohibit them. The U.S. Marshals ask if you have one, and if you do, they simply take it from you and give it back when you leave. You sure you want to try to fool armed U.S. Marshals with a Seidio battery cover that conceals the camera?
3. There are many reasons companies and government buildings do not allow cameras. Yours is not to question the propriety or reasonableness of such policies, lie to circumvent or deceive security authorities, but instead you should respect a company's wishes, and as to government buildings, simply obey the law.
Bonus Warning: Some places have signs warning that cameras are not allowed. I won't go into them all here. But note many such signs say it is a felony or misdemeanor
to take simply take a camera into the area, [meaning you do NOT have to use the camera to get busted].
4. IMHO just for one's convenience it is NOT worth the risk to try and sneak a camera phone by covering the lens, such as with the Pearl battery cover. I am sure YOU are well meaning, smarter than those who don't want cameras in their space, and you do not have criminal intent. But police officers, sheriffs, marshals and security details who check your stuff and enforce the rules don't know squat about YOU. As far as they are concerned you are a suspect who tried to sneak in a cell phone camera [in regards to law enforcement catching you, even a dolt will be able to pull the Pearl cover off and see it has a camera].
5. Although YOU A) know better than everyone else; B) firmly believe that it is your "constitutional right" to carry a cell phone; C) have determined that rules prohibiting cell phone cameras are unreasonable [except for others, who may have bad intentions]; and D) know YOU won't get caught: see my post discussing the scenarios where you could get busted, jailed or fired for merely possessing a "concealed" camera phone.
6. If I was Seidio I would not even make this product because as soon as YOU rat out to investigators that Seidio made the cover [foolishly thinking that might get you off the hook], I'd go after them too.
The simplest test is to ask yourself this, if there are signs posted or questions asked by law enforcement that relate to the prohibition of taking cell phones with cameras into "their space,"
then don't do it. Be aware that getting guard duty is the worst in terms of law enforcement assignments. It's very boring work. You can bet that your attempt to hide a camera will be made into a big deal since things are normally ho hum in terms of daily action at the check in and scanner stations. They will slap you against the wall and place you in a holding cell for at least a few hours.
I can guarantee you that no one will believe your statements of innocent intentions. That's what everyone says when caught, the same as when people get caught speeding [everyone has "that emergency" they were speeding off to] or when caught drunk driving [everyone has "only had two beers].
Everyone who gets caught with a camera phone has statements of honorable intentions, e.g., they simply did not want to lose use of the phone, etc., but like I said, in many jurisdictions merely possessing the phone with a camera is a crime. Add to that that you took steps to conceal it.... oye vey... are you gonna be in the sewers of Paris.
To me trying to get by a "no cameras allowed" policy is the same as trying to take in concealed weapons into a secure area. I can assure that if you get caught [and there are many ways to get caught], law enforcement or security will treat your actions just as serious.
In any event, I am sure YOU are the exception to any of the above, YOU know better than the U.S. Marshals or "the company with that silly and inconvenient no camera policy," so go for it. But be sure to share your "I got busted" experience with us [when you get out of jail].
