[img_assist|nid=11539|title=London 2012 Olympics spectators will be able to use their mobiles to follow the action at events|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=150]A report in Saturday’s Independent newspaper in the UK suggested that mobile phones could be among a list of items banned from events at the London 2012 Olympics. Other items on the list included flasks, umbrellas, camera tripods, vuvuzelas, and flags of countries not involved in the games. Mobile phones were in danger, the report said, as they might disturb the action.

We took the matter up this afternoon with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG). A LOCOG press officer told us the report was: “not true and we are clarifying in our terms and conditions. There may be some events (e.g. archery) where you need quiet for the competitors and therefore we may ask people to switch their phones off but that’s it.”

So it seems that spectators will be able to use their mobiles to meet up with friends, fill in the gaps when nothing much is happening, and generally do all the stuff we all do on our phones every day. Whether mobile users will be able to use their phones to take photos and videos of the action, however, is unclear. We have put this question to LOCOG and are currently awaiting an answer.

Update:

The press office came back to us on the photo/video query. Heres what they had to say: “As long as it doesn’t impact on the athletes, we won’t stop people from taking moving or still images. There may be some restrictions around how they can be used though – so you won’t find user generated content of Olympic sporting events on YouTube etc.”