You might wonder why some selfie sticks are banned in South Korea. Is it because of the fears of uncontrolled sticks bashing people on the head at the country’s big tourist attractions?
Perhaps it is because selfies have been blamed for the rise in plastic surgery statistics in some parts of the world? Or maybe it’s because they just look a bit silly?
The truth is that the Asian country has banned unregistered sticks because they class them as communication devices that need to be tested. This is because the selfie sticks use Bluetooth to communicate with the phones nestling on them and take pictures.
Could Interfere with Other Gadgets
The worry is that the device could interfere with other gadgets near it. Because of this, these sticks need to be properly tested and registered by a government agency before going on sale.
If someone is caught making or selling an unregistered selfie stick in South Korea then the fine is reported to be as high as £17,300, which seems an incredibly high price to pay. Official sources suggest that the law is mainly about warning manufacturers to be careful about what they produce, as making or selling dodgy sticks is the main thrust of the new law, rather than end users taking snaps.
Reports suggest that sellers could also get up to 3 years in jail for selling unregistered sticks. Some sources suggest that some sellers have been forced to dump their stocks and not risk being punished under the legislation.
Have you tried using a selfie stick? Did it give you better photos?
picture courtesy of Daily Mail
