The patent isn't to disable your current phone's camera but a future Apple phone that is designed and built to be disabled. In other words, Apple can design a phone that Apple can disable--that's not news. Apple already designs their phones to do all sorts of things that don't necessarily benefit users but benefit Apple (like track you). Companies design features that limit users all the time, like DVRs that won't allow you to make copies, HDTVs that don't output a high-resolution analog signal, Blu-ray players that only play discs from the U.S., and cars that are programmed to prevent speeding faster than 129mph (or, for an extreme example, starter guns that are disabled from firing a real bullet). Of course, since there are few wireless network companies and few cell phone manufacturers, they can all decide to implement some feature in the name of "security" or "copyright protection" and users will have no recourse but to stop using all phones. Bottom line is that our civil rights don't include the right to use cellphones whenever and wherever we want.

But this patent has nothing to do with any ability the government already has to jam phones or intercept their signals. The government can't signal your phone to turn off because your phone is not programmed to accept such a signal. That's different from jamming your signal or destroying your phone.