More
totalitarianism in favor of the police state
As
smartphones revolutionize how people interact with breaking news,
internet freedom advocates are warning that “kill switch”
technology could shut down this newfound form of expression during
times of civil unrest.
Viral video
footage of the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two
black men recently fatally shot by police, triggered nationwide Black
Lives Matter protests and renewed a nationwide discussion over the
importance of easily accessible video and livestreaming to hold cops
accountable.
However,
police frequently target those caught filming them, even when courts
have repeatedly upheld the right of citizens to do so. Police held
Diamond Reynolds, Castille’s fiancee, at gunpoint while she filmed
the aftermath of the shooting, and both witnesses to Sterling’s
death, Chris LeDay and Abdullah Muflahi, were targeted by police
after filming.
But perhaps
even more worrisome than police targeting individuals for filming is
the idea that the technology which allows witnesses to film and share
incidents of brutality could be remotely disabled to stem dissent.
The Department of Homeland Security has a secretive procedure in
place to de-activate internet access in the event of an emergency,
popularly known as an “internet kill switch.”
Full
report:
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