Violent Flash Mobs organized through social media

[Proton Soup]

That's my question, are they needed? And if the messages are clearly inciting crime and violence, how can they be protected by the constitution?

no, it's clearly already illegal and doesn't require new law, imo.

 

[WhoWee]

I guess one pitfall is how broadly "organizing or facilitating" is defined. If I post a message on twitter like "there's a flash mob at city hall," am I promoting it? Or merely reporting on it? What if I try to get people to attend a protest that later becomes violent, even if it didn't start that way? Would I get in trouble for spreading the word?

There's actually a huge grey area here.

My guess is the person(s) who ORIGINATES the EVENT or anyone who INDICATES VIOLENCE or SPECIFIES WEAPONS would be party to the crime - including the owner of the phone if different than the poster.

 

[WhoWee]

I'm quite certain the insurance companies will explore all options when trying to recover claims paid - shouldn't be too difficult to obtain electronic records.

 

[Proton Soup]

I'm quite certain the insurance companies will explore all options when trying to recover claims paid - shouldn't be too difficult to obtain electronic records.

yeah... you got to wonder about some of these folks. the same tools that allowed them to organize so efficiently will be efficiently used to round them up. there was some of this going on in chicago not too long ago, but it seems to have quieted down now (or at least i haven't been reading any news on it).

 

[ginru]

Yep, except that there just aren't many gun owners in London proper.

Mob violence is the fundamental issue here and hence nothing new; the technology component incidental it seems to me. Thus the solution is also traditional.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/video-embed.html?video_id=1029359724001



That's unfortunate but, when the situation escalates beyond the control of traditional police power, required. Its a simple choice. Either choose uncontrolled mob violence which if unchecked will escalate or choose police controlled violence.

An absent police response, the violence in London should be met with some of the same self defense used in the '92 LA riots.

Even without firepower, perhaps society just needs more of the elders' sense of community and courage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng0QNvHOh-g

Fewer thieves would risk it if they expected the local passerby to be as brave and determined as this old lady to stop them.

 

[rhody]

This is interesting on many levels, if the violence continues to escalate, and flash mob behavior continues to spread from distressed region/country to distressed region/country for whatever reason, there will be a triggering event that will cause the communications industry in cooperation with state and federal governments to action. When they finally have had enough, they will "pull the plug" on cell phone and internet service, at least for the short term until the flash mob behavior is brought under control. Once down this track, we are on a very slippery slope. I liken removing the ability to communicate as removing the mobsters carrying gas cans to a bonfire.

Who knows, maybe HAM radio operators will have a new place in society in the near future to provide emergency communication services in the event something like this happens. I listened to a talk radio host talk about how we are in a pre-revolutionary period today. I was shocked and taken aback by the comments, but seeing these events play themselves out, am beginning to wonder myself. This talk show host is not a far left or far right loon and comments honestly as he sees things. He is good at predicting the future and is usually weeks to months ahead of others in predicting political actions in our state. That is why I continue to listen.

Rhody...

 

[drankin]

Even without firepower, perhaps society just needs more of the elders' sense of community and courage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng0QNvHOh-g

Fewer thieves would risk it if they expected the local passerby to be as brave and determined as this old lady to stop them.

I agree! I love seeing an old lady beating away rioters! LOL

 

[CAC1001]

This is interesting on many levels, if the violence continues to escalate, and flash mob behavior continues to spread from distressed region/country to distressed region/country for whatever reason, there will be a triggering event that will cause the communications industry in cooperation with state and federal governments to action. When they finally have had enough, they will "pull the plug" on cell phone and internet service, at least for the short term until the flash mob behavior is brought under control. Once down this track, we are on a very slippery slope. I liken removing the ability to communicate as removing the mobsters carrying gas cans to a bonfire.

I highly doubt they would pull cellphone and Internet service all over flash mobs, would have to be some major flash mobs occurring, and even then, it is questionable. Plus you'd completely hamstring businesses and the overall economy by doing such a thing, and it would make people crazy, as they are too used to the Internet now.

 

[Evo]

I think it's clever that undercover cops have started getting themselves "friended" and been able to stop riots from happening thanks to them getting the "tweet".

 

[rhody]

I think it's clever that undercover cops have started getting themselves "friended" and been able to stop riots from happening thanks to them getting the "tweet".

Yeah, that is clever Evo. The news is reporting that a lot of flash organizing behavior is done using Blackberry's. They texts apparently can't be traced.

Rhody...

P.S. This is an interesting aside. A young lady was caring for someone away from home and in a city/residence she was not familiar with. There was a medical emergency, no land line available, and her cell call to emergency services was frustrated because she could not give an exact address. Had they had a land phone line, the EMT's would have shown the address immediately. Something to think about, although an unusual case.

 

[Astronuc]

I think it's clever that undercover cops have started getting themselves "friended" and been able to stop riots from happening thanks to them getting the "tweet".

I would imagine that hot jobs in the near term are private eye, security guard, and bounty hunter - and using the internet and social media to catch miscreants and n'er-do-well folk.

 

[FeDeX_LaTeX]

Logged on to my friend's Facebook account (he gave me the password to look at 'statuses'); here are some of the messages people posted (the bad-looking ones).

"so bored. mite go for some looting tomoz lol"
"why don't the rioters set schools on fire?"
"Camden's so quiet it's wierd. going to go down there tomorrow, see if I can steal some stuff xD"
"I Need Some New Crep, Let's Break Into Footlocker"
"is it kicking off in holloway ? Where is it kicking off? someone organise something"
"I need to get to these Riots."
"Getting Livly In Camden..looks fun LOL"
"Thinkin of merkin greggs..whos got a motive for me and my dawgyss"
"i would love to **** up some police."
"Ok is their rioting in Camden? anyone going?"
"whos on protest tomorrow ?"
"MANDEM COME KENTISH. LIIIVE."
"the riot's at Camden yh?"

Just a sample of some of what people have posted...

 

[drankin]

Logged on to my friend's Facebook account (he gave me the password to look at 'statuses'); here are some of the messages people posted (the bad-looking ones).

"so bored. mite go for some looting tomoz lol"
"why don't the rioters set schools on fire?"
"Camden's so quiet it's wierd. going to go down there tomorrow, see if I can steal some stuff xD"
"I Need Some New Crep, Let's Break Into Footlocker"
"is it kicking off in holloway ? Where is it kicking off? someone organise something"
"I need to get to these Riots."
"Getting Livly In Camden..looks fun LOL"
"Thinkin of merkin greggs..whos got a motive for me and my dawgyss"
"i would love to **** up some police."
"Ok is their rioting in Camden? anyone going?"
"whos on protest tomorrow ?"
"MANDEM COME KENTISH. LIIIVE."
"the riot's at Camden yh?"

Just a sample of some of what people have posted...

Wow, like it's a local carnival. "so bored. mite go for some looting tomoz lol".

 

[FeDeX_LaTeX]

That being said the majority of the people posting statuses are against looting, I just put these together to give people a sample of what some of the 'organisation' looks like. Not to be mis-interpreted as a majority

 

[rhody]

That being said the majority of the people posting statuses are against looting, I just put these together to give people a sample of what some of the 'organisation' looks like. Not to be mis-interpreted as a majority

Fedex,

Do these people have enough brain cells to realize that law enforcement can use them to connect the dots ? Sometimes a big lie to look bad a.. could come back to bite them in a big way.

Rhody...

 

[skippy1729]

I can hardly wait until some of our less civilized political movements latch onto this behavior.

I keep hoping that a definitive causal link can be found between wireless traffic and Colony Collapse Disorder. The world would be a better place without cell phones. I know I must sound like a knuckle dragging reactionary but I was there, BCP (before cell phones), and it was a better place.

Skippy

 

[FeDeX_LaTeX]

Some of the people who said these things I thought knew better than to join in the chaos; a bit shocked that some of my 'friends' are choosing to contribute to the injuring of policemen, burning of shops, and mugging of people.

 

[drankin]

Some of the people who said these things I thought knew better than to join in the chaos; a bit shocked that some of my 'friends' are choosing to contribute to the injuring of policemen, burning of shops, and mugging of people.

Might have to take a second look at who your 'friends' are my friend.

 

[WhoWee]

This is interesting on many levels, if the violence continues to escalate, and flash mob behavior continues to spread from distressed region/country to distressed region/country for whatever reason, there will be a triggering event that will cause the communications industry in cooperation with state and federal governments to action. When they finally have had enough, they will "pull the plug" on cell phone and internet service, at least for the short term until the flash mob behavior is brought under control. Once down this track, we are on a very slippery slope. I liken removing the ability to communicate as removing the mobsters carrying gas cans to a bonfire.

The police could always send a message of their own - maybe tell everyone to meet at a large parking lot > where they'll all be arrested.

 

[rhody]

The police could always send a message of their own - maybe tell everyone to meet at a large parking lot > where they'll all be arrested.

Hehe, or better yet, flash all the trouble makers cell's so they no longer can communicate with a warning to knock it off or go to jail and face hefty fines before the phones go dead. That would get their attention for sure.

Rhody...

 

[WhoWee]

Does anyone know if cell phone privileges can be stripped (for a set time or indefinitely) the way a land line can - if too many abusive calls are documented?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Just got a fb status report from a friend that some rioting has begun in Birkenhead and Liverpool.

 

[Evo]

Does anyone know if cell phone privileges can be stripped (for a set time or indefinitely) the way a land line can - if too many abusive calls are documented?

Physically, yes, but it runs into legal issues.

 

[WhoWee]

Physically, yes, but it runs into legal issues.

Someone posted early in the thread about a problem in Cleveland, OH. while I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but some of the larger counties in OH have provided thousands of cell phones to welfare recipients. A lot of the phones were provided for parents to communicate with kids. At a minimum, this group should face consequences of losing phones if involved in criminal activities.

 

[Tosh5457]

Wow, like it's a local carnival. "so bored. mite go for some looting tomoz lol".

Lol that's funny. It's total anarchy I guess.

 

[Evo]

Someone posted early in the thread about a problem in Cleveland, OH. while I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but some of the larger counties in OH have provided thousands of cell phones to welfare recipients. A lot of the phones were provided for parents to communicate with kids. At a minimum, this group should face consequences of losing phones if involved in criminal activities.

Thing is criminals currently buy those disposable "pay as you go" phones. You can pay cash for them and they're untraceable. People have been trying to pass laws to require registration, but there is push back against it. Just read about it this morning.

 

[turbo]

That's what I have Evo, though not with criminal intent. Go to WalMart and buy a TrakFone with a minutes card, load the minutes and wait for the phone to update with a phone number. Done. I don't use a phone that much, but it's nice to have in my pocket for emergencies when I'm away from home.

 

[WhoWee]

Thing is criminals currently buy those disposable "pay as you go" phones. You can pay cash for them and they're untraceable. People have been trying to pass laws to require registration, but there is push back against it. Just read about it this morning.

Hard to imagine how to control that - the phones in OH I referred to are paid for with tax dollars - there should be ZERO tolerance on those devices - IMO.

 

[Evo]

Hard to imagine how to control that - the phones in OH I referred to are paid for with tax dollars - there should be ZERO tolerance on those devices - IMO.

I agree, but I wonder if they even kept track of them? I wouldn't be surprised if half of those people either sold them or had them stolen.

 

[WhoWee]

I agree, but I wonder if they even kept track of them? I wouldn't be surprised if half of those people either sold them or had them stolen.

I just thought of something else - we have tracking on our phones. I wonder if the police could request the carriers to activate tracking on all enabled devices - take a snapshot in time?