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‘Appalling behaviour’: Surf webcams hacked to perv on sunbathing women

A series of beach mounted webcams, designed to check waves and crowd size, have been hacked to focus on sunbathing women.

A Freshwater Beach surfer first noticed the camera’s new points of interest and captured a series of screen shots.

“I just don’t think it is right that someone uses a public service to perv on women, whoever it is should pay for what they have done,” the surfer told the Manly Daily.

The anonymous surfer said he watched for 20 minutes as the camera's focused on different sunbathing women. Photo: Supplied.
The anonymous surfer said he watched for 20 minutes as the camera's focused on different sunbathing women. Photo: Supplied.

“I logged on to the page and I wanted to look at Freshie, the first thing I saw was a close up of girls lying on the beach in bikinis. I watched it for a while, it was basically panning in and out checking out different girls."

Camera operator SURFit allows Facebook users to take partial control of the cameras to flick between beaches, however not to the extent where they can zoom in on beach goers.

With about 20 camera angles on each beach, one camera operator seemed particularly interested in the movements of one woman, zooming in and out as she bent over and relaxed on the sand.

The beach web cams were designed to allow surfers to assess wave conditions and crowd sizes from their computer. Photo: Supplied
The beach web cams were designed to allow surfers to assess wave conditions and crowd sizes from their computer. Photo: Supplied

“It is hard to know how they did it … even (if it was hacked) you only have the ability to send certain commands, all the commands are sent by someone saying move left, or right or up or down,” a company spokesperson said.

“The cameras are designed not to do that, if you are caught using the cameras (in that way) your membership will be cancelled,” he said.

While police have yet to be informed about the breach, Surf Life Saving Sydney Northern Beaches branch president Doug Menzies condemned the actions of the camera operators.

"As surf life savers we look to provide a wholehearted safe environment in and out of the water,” Mr Menzies said.

SURFit said they weren't sure how their camera's were hacked but would ensure it never happened again. Photo: Supplied
SURFit said they weren't sure how their camera's were hacked but would ensure it never happened again. Photo: Supplied

“It is the sort of behaviour we would hope no one using our beach would be a part of.”

While it might be immoral, the bikini-focused camera operator may not have broken any major laws according to Sydney University law professor Barbara McDonald.

"It is actually sometimes these sorts of conduct which slip through the different cracks and end up being a breach of nothing and really it ought to be a breach of something," Professor McDonald told the Daily Telegraph.