万米高空闲来无事，很多人都会打开前排座椅靠背的显示屏看看电影，听听音乐。但最近新加坡航空的一位乘客发现，显示屏上安装有摄像头，可能随时在监视乘客。他上传到推特的照片引发全球关注，全球最大的三家航空公司都已承认多个机型的座椅靠背上装有摄像头。

Three of the world’s biggest airlines have admitted some of their planes have cameras installed on the backs of passenger seats.

全球最大的三家航空公司已承认，部分飞机的乘客座椅靠背安装有摄像头。

American Airlines, United Airlines and Singapore Airlines have new seat-back entertainment systems that include cameras.

美国航空公司、联合航空公司和新加坡航空公司最新安装的座椅靠背娱乐系统中装有摄像头。

They could also be on planes used by other carriers.

其他航空公司的飞机上也可能安装了类似系统。

Companies that make the entertainment systems are fitting them with cameras to offer passengers options such as seat-to-seat video conferencing, according to an American Airlines spokesman.

美国航空公司的一位发言人说，生产娱乐系统的公司安装摄像头是为了方便飞机乘客之间进行视频会议。

video conferencing：视频会议

But American, United and Singapore all say they have never activated the cameras and have no plans to use them.

不过，上述三家航空公司均表示他们从未启用那些摄像头，也没有计划使用。

activate ['æktɪveɪt] vi.激活；有活力

 A flight attendant stands at a bar on the upper deck for first and business class passengers of an Emirates Airbus A380 at the ILA Berlin Air Show International Air and Space Exhibition in Berlin, Germany, April 25, 2018. [Photo/IC]

While video conferencing is not available on United flights, the feature is currently in use on some Emirates flights with Panasonic entertainment systems aboard, for first-class fliers.

联合航空公司的航班上还无法实现视频会议，但阿联酋航空公司一些航班的头等舱已经在使用这一技术，这些飞机上安装的是日本松下公司的系统。

In a statement provided after publication, Panasonic Avionics Corporation said that it "will never activate any feature or functionality within an IFE system without explicit direction from an airline customer" and that "the cameras have simply been included to support potential future applications like seat-to-seat video conferencing."

松下航空电子公司发布声明说，“绝不会在未接到乘客明确指示的情况下，激活飞机客舱娱乐系统的任何功能。安装摄像头只是为了支持乘客间视频会议等未来的应用需求。”

A passenger on a Singapore flight tweeted a photograph last week of the seat-back display, prompting other air travelers to voice concerns about their privacy at 30,000ft.

上周，新加坡航空公司的一位乘客在推特上传了一张座椅靠背显示屏的照片，促使其他乘客也表达了对3万英尺高空飞行中个人隐私的关注。

 Vitaly Kamluk, who photographed the camera on his flight, suggested that carriers should cover the lenses with stickers and said it would be easy for airlines to monitor passengers with them.

拍摄摄像头照片的乘客维塔利-卡姆卢克建议说，航空公司应该用贴纸盖住摄像头，有了摄像头，航空公司很容易监控乘客的一举一动。

“The cameras are probably not used now,” he tweeted. “But if they are wired, operational, bundled with mic, it’s a matter of one smart hack to use them on 84+ aircrafts and spy on passengers.”

他在推特上说：“摄像头可能现在还没有使用，但如果连上网，运行起来，再插上麦克风，就能成为超过84架飞机上的智能黑客系统，用来监视乘客。”

此事在国内社交媒体也引发了热议。

  American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said cameras were in “premium economy” seats on 82 Boeing 777 and Airbus A330-200 jets.

美国航空公司发言人罗斯-范斯坦说，82架波音777飞机和空客A330-200飞机“高级经济舱”的座椅靠背安装有摄像头。

“Cameras are a standard feature on many in-flight entertainment systems used by multiple airlines,” he said.

他说：“摄像头是很多机内娱乐系统的标配，多家航空公司都在使用。”

British Airways told The Independent none of its planes had cameras on seat backs.

英国航空公司对《独立报》表示，并未在座椅靠背安装摄像头。

Singapore spokesman James Boyd said cameras were on 84 Airbus A350s, Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s and 787s.

新加坡航空公司发言人詹姆斯-博伊德说，84架空客A350、空客A380、波音777和787飞机上安装有摄像头。

But a United spokeswoman repeatedly told reporters on Friday that none of its entertainment systems had cameras – before apologizing and saying that some did.

但联合航空公司的一位女发言人上周五反复对记者强调，飞机的娱乐系统中没有安装摄像头，但在此之后又承认了此事并表示道歉。

The airlines stressed that they did not add the cameras – saying manufacturers embedded them in the entertainment systems.

航空公司强调说，摄像头并非公司安装，而是生产商将其内置进了娱乐系统。