Anti-Terror Backlash Against Mobile Phones Continues
We've already seen the beginnings of the backlash against mobile phones on the basis that terrorists might use them, and given recent events in London, it's not surprising to see it carry on there. Following New York City's shutdown of mobile service in tunnels there, some British politicians are now using security grounds to call for a review of plans to blanket the London subway with mobile coverage. This comes even though mobile phones weren't used in any of the attacks there, and the often-cited train bombings in Madrid saw the alarms of mobile phones used, rather than anything dependent on network technology. While there's the possibility that mobile phones could be used in an attack, having network coverage in the subway also offers a number of potential safety and security benefits as well. On a lighter note, though, perhaps they don't need cellular coverage, if a hoax email is to be believed. It says that if users dial 112 when they're underground, satellite signals will connect them to the emergency services.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
