It is not illegal to have a police scanner in the U.S. The notion that it is illegal to pass information on to others obtained by such means is absurd. Anyone can have a scanner and listen to it for themselves, how would telling someone else what they hear violate any law. This would be unconstitutional and a clear violation of the first amendment. In fact, radio stations regularly use scanners to inform commuters where auto accidents are as a way to limit traffic congestion. I hear them all of the time. It is interesting that the Obama administration recoiled at Iran's recent use of the same tactics during the "election" protests and actually, asked Twitter to delay scheduled technical upgrades so that the protester's actions would not be interrupted.http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSWBT01137420090616 There was a very good interview today with the defendant and his lawyer on Democracy Nowtoday http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/6/twitter_crackdown_nyc_activist_arrested_for
Message: 11 Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 08:59:47 +0000 From: Pall Thayer <pallt...@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [NetBehaviour] New York man accused of using Twitter to direct protesters during G20 summit. To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity <netbehaviour@netbehaviour.org> Message-ID: <e3a34e0e0910050159j7bda4c8bi5eb5602e15df7...@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 ps. I think the REAL concern regarding this issue is that they found it somehow relevant to "remove anarchist literature and pictures of Marx and Lenin." As if that is somehow illegal or can serve as evidence of some crime. On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 8:57 AM, Pall Thayer <pallt...@gmail.com> wrote: > No, actually, I looked it up and using police scanners is not illegal > in the US. However passing the information on to others is. > > On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 7:17 AM, dave miller <dave.miller...@gmail.com> wrote: >> I wondered about that as well, what laws did they break? I suspect >> that using emergency frequency radio scanners is illegal, but this >> article suggests it's illegal to organise protest. >> >> >> 2009/10/4 Pall Thayer <pallt...@gmail.com>: >>> Oh, according to Wikipedia it is illegal to "disclose information >>> received to other persons" when using a police scanner. >>> >>> marc garrett wrote: >>>> New York man accused of using Twitter to direct protesters during G20 >>>> summit. >>>> >>>> Elliott Madison arrested by FBI and charged with using social networking >>>> site to help demonstrators evade Pittsburgh police. >>>> >>>> About 5,000 protesters are estimated to have taken part in >>>> demonstrations in Pittsburgh during the G20 summit. Photograph: Brian >>>> Blanco/EPA >>>> >>>> A New York-based anarchist has been arrested by the FBI and charged with >>>> hindering prosecution after he allegedly used the social networking site >>>> Twitter to help protesters at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh evade the >>>> police. >>>> >>>> Elliot Madison, 41, from Queens, had his home raided and was put on >>>> $30,000 (?19,000) bail after he and Michael Wallschlaeger, 46, were >>>> tracked to the Carefree Inn motel in Pittsburgh during the summit on 24 >>>> and 25 September. >>>> >>>> The pair were found sitting in front of a bank of laptops and emergency >>>> frequency radio scanners. They were wearing headphones and microphones >>>> and had many maps and contact numbers in the room. >>>> >>>> Official police documents allege the two men used Twitter messages to >>>> contact protesters at the summit "and to inform the protesters and >>>> groups of the movements and actions of law enforcement". >>>> >>>> In all, almost 200 protesters were arrested during the two-day summit, >>>> which brought world leaders to Pittsburgh to discuss the global economic >>>> meltdown and other matters of common financial interest. >>>> >>>> About 5,000 protesters were estimated to have taken part in >>>> demonstrations in the city. >>>> >>>> more... >>>> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/04/man-arrested-twitter-g20-us/print >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> NetBehaviour mailing list >>>> netbehavi...@netbehaviour.org >>>> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
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