The nuisance of audience members ruining concerts and plays by recording them on their phones could soon be a thing of the past after Apple patented a technology that blocks the iPhone’s camera feature.

The company’s invention would allow venues to use an infrared beam to disable photography on mobile phones, preventing people from taking videos and photos.

The invention comes amid growing frustration that intimate live events are being spoiled by a sea of screens as visitors record videos in order to share them on social media.