BART admits halting cell service to stop protesters

[Horse with no Name]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2011%2F08%2F12%2FBAEU1KMS8U.DTL

>>>snip
(08-12) 14:49 PDT Oakland --

BART officials acknowledged this afternoon that they shut down cell phone and wireless data service in its downtown San Francisco stations to disrupt a planned protest. Their announcement sparked denunciations from civil libertarians and the apparent threat of a cyber-attack on the BART website.

A statement posted on the transit agency's website said the communications blackout was ordered in the interest of public safety:

"Organizers planning to disrupt BART service on August 11, 2011 stated they would use mobile devices to coordinate their disruptive activities and communicate about the location and number of BART Police," the statement reads.

"A civil disturbance during commute times at busy downtown San Francisco stations could lead to platform overcrowding and unsafe conditions for BART customers, employees and demonstrators. BART temporarily interrupted service at select BART stations as one of many tactics to ensure the safety of everyone on the platform."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/12/BAEU1KMS8U.DTL#ixzz1UrEBw6p1

[FreakinDJ]

1. so how does BART shut down cell service

Is it as easy as 1 phone call from a government official and the communications giants just pull the plug

[backscatter712]

2. In subway tunnels, they just pull the plug on the repeaters.

Down in the tunnels, cell phones can't get signals from towers on the surface, so the subway installs repeaters along the tunnels to provide cell phone service to riders. All they have to do is unplug them.

[joshcryer]

3. Eben Moglen warned of this, for years. Meanwhile, DU loves its iPhones.

[nilram]

8. Hey, AT&T didn't facilitate snooping on ALL calls and internet traffic

just those that go through seven or eight particular data centers.

 

[unblock]

4. apparently america believes in less free speech than egypt does.

the vision of our founders has been forgotten.

[jberryhill]

5. But.. Remember the debate between Jefferson and Adams...

Jefferson preferred an unlimited data plan, but Adams said you could provide a lower base price for a limited plan.

[unblock]

6. reminds me of a skit from portlandia

they go into a cell phone store and the clerk describes one of the various pricing plans as "free for only $69.99!"

"how is it free if you have to pay?"

"it's free after you pay".

:rofl:

[nilram]

7. Franklin went for the free texting

Chatty Cathy that he was. I can't imagine sharing a stateroom with him across the Atlantic.

"A penny saved is better than a penny earned."

"Well done is better than well said."

Well, SHUT UP!

[nilram]

9. k&r: a corporation feels threatened and takes away the ability for free people to communicate

and peaceably (I presume) assemble.

Freedom of association, freedom of assembly -- right into the shredder because their profits might have been disrupted. Ugly.