Hi Pall, Thanks for this - the IDC list also mentioned an article by Amy Goodman, subsequently wrote an article in Truthdig, "Watch What You
Tweet": "Rather than encourage and support the use of distributed, decentralized social networks to strengthen our democracy and dissent (remember, the Obama campaign itself relied extensively on these online and mobile tools), the government seems headed in the opposite direction. Los Angeles Chief of Police William Bratton recently won acclaim at the annual meeting of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, a professional organization of police executives representing 63 of the largest cities in the United States and Canada. Bratton has launched 'I Watch LA,' described as 'a community awareness program created to educate the public about behaviors and activities that may have a connection to terrorism.' The iWatch program, despite Bratton’s assertion otherwise, is about spying on your neighbors and turning them in to the police." http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20091006_watch_what_you_tweet/?ln Free Speech Radio also interviewed the head of the CDT about this, who said more or less similar things to Elliot's lawyer. http://www.fsrn.org/audio/activist-elliot-madison´s-twitter-case- sparks-criticism-police-and-fbi/5555 Mikes site links to the EFF's posted versions of the search warrants and legal documents, if you haven't seen them: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/10/man-arrested-twittering-goes-court-eff-has-documen marc > An interview with one of the guys who was arrested: > > http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/6/twitter_crackdown_nyc_activist_arrested_for > > mark cooley wrote: > >> 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 >> <http://us.mc1107.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=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 >> <http://us.mc1107.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=netbehavi...@netbehaviour.org>> >> Message-ID: >> <e3a34e0e0910050159j7bda4c8bi5eb5602e15df7...@mail.gmail.com >> <http://us.mc1107.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=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 >> <http://us.mc1107.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=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 >>> >> <http://us.mc1107.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=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 >>>> >> <http://us.mc1107.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=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 >>>>>> NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org >>>>>> >> <http://us.mc1107.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=netbehavi...@netbehaviour.org> >> >>>>>> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >>>>>> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NetBehaviour mailing list >> NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org >> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >> > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > > _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
