About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

9 ISJLP 173 (2013-2014)
Shutting down Dissent: Global Responses to Mobile-Fueled Flash Mobs and Political Protests

handle is hein.journals/isjlpsoc9 and id is 173 raw text is: I/S: A JOURNAL OF LAW AND POLICY FOR THE INFORMATION SOCIETY Shutting Down Dissent: Global Responses to Mobile-Fueled Flash Mobs and Political Protests MARIA SCHEID I. INTRODUCTION From the revolutionary protests defining the Arab Spring to riots spreading over Greater London to waves of criminal flash mobs occurring across the United States, 2011 was a tumultuous year for free assembly and the mobile technology that supports it. A recent report by the Pew Research Center reveals that in the United States, 83% of adults own some kind of mobile phone, with 51% of respondents saying they used their phone to get information needed right away. 1 Similarly in the United Kingdom, 92% of adults personally own or use a mobile phone.2 In Egypt, mobile penetration, measured as the number of active mobile phone numbers within Egypt's population as of December 2011, was 102.76%.3 Given the prevalence and increasing functionality of mobile phones in the world today, it is not surprising to see such a high number of consumers rely on their mobile phones for communication and information of all sorts. This reliance on communication has come to include information relating to planned protests, whether for peaceful demonstration or criminal activity. In response to recent civil 1 PEW RESEARCH CENTER, PEW INTERNET & AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT, AMERICAN AND THEIR CELL PHONES, available at http://pewinternet.org/Reports/201/Cell-Phones.aspx. 2 OFCOM, FACTS AND FIGURES 2012, http://media.ofcom.org.uk/facts. 3 ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, ICT Indicators in Brief, January 2012, available at http://mcit.gov.eg/Upcont/ Documents/Publications_2922012000_Eng%20Flyer.pdf.

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most