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| Protestor arrested on 10-19-2011 in New York Ci |
On
October 20, Sarah Lai Stirland, a reporter from TPM’s Idea Lab wrote an article
about the Occupy Wall Street Protest. As any monumental and historical event
takes place, I continuously find myself entranced in media outlets waiting for
the latest scoop of new. However, this article that I read made me think more
in depth about this event and was a perfect example of how technology is being
used to better assemble and organize protestors in a more controlled and legal
way. The post that Sarah Lai Stirland writes about involves protesters being
arrested and their possessions being confiscated. Law-enforcements have become
aware that phones with cameras and social media networks are key tools that
protestors are using to further their cause and help revolutionize their demonstrations.
However,
police officers are taking their phones and sifting through their text messages
to find information about places to meet and plans for future rallies. She recommends that people who want to
actively become involved check out Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Cell Phone Guide for Occupy
Wall Street Protestors before
getting involved while carrying your phone. The summery of the guide is as
follows:
Protect your phone before
you protest
Think carefully about what’s
on your phone before bringing it to a protest
Password-protect your phone
- and consider encryption options
Back up the data on your
phone
You’re at the protest – now what?
Maintain control over your
phone
Consider
taking pictures and video
Help! Help!
I’m being arrested
Remember
that you have a right to remain silent
Ask to speak to your lawyer
The
police have my phone, how do I get it back?
You
can file a motion with the court to have your property returned
For people
have an android powered phone that are still bringing them to protest, a
company called Quadrant 2 has developed an app called “I’m Getting Arrested”,
which lets the user send out a 16-character mass text-message to other
protestors who might want to be alerted about their situation. The app wasn’t
designed just for this protest but for any situation. So far the app is receiving
positive 5/5 reviews. Here are the languages and countries that it supports: Catalan,
French, German, Italian, Spanish and Turkish.
Source:
Sarah Lai Stirland.
(2011). Occupy Wall Street tech: have you been arrested? there’s an app for
that. TPM, Retrieved from http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-tech-have-you-been-arrested-theres-an-app-for-that.php
Wow. I had no clue that the possibility of authority taking possession of your phone was even an issue in the Occupy Wall Street protests. Personally, I believe that it's one thing for an officer to confiscate belongings if the owner is arrested, but the fact that protesters have to worry about them sifting through personal information on a mobile device is unconstitutional and, essentially, ridiculous. I think that the vast diffusion of the protests around the world are a cause of the increasing uses of social networking sites, and authorities feel threatened by this. Great article for your blog, I am glad I read this!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great news article. I knew that people were out there who were protesting but I didn't realize that the police were actually arresting people and taking their property. I understand that many protestors would use technology to help plan new protests and meetings, but I thought the police had to have probable cause in order to seize and go through someone's personal property. I also think that the app created to tell other protestors that you are getting arrested could lead to more problems. The other protestors may get that message and the peaceful protest may turn violent. Overall, the information about how to prepare your cell phone for a protest is great information.
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