The Delhi police is putting Web 2.0 in Orwellianism. After coining phrases like “When in rooms do as Roman does“, the Delhi police has gone high tech to deal with it’s traffic issues. [NYT] (Joel via GTalk)
Now, the city’s overburdened traffic police officers have enlisted an unexpected weapon in the fight against dangerous driving: Facebook.
The traffic police started a Facebook page two months ago, and almost immediately residents became digital informants, posting photos of their fellow drivers violating traffic laws. As of Sunday more than 17,000 people had become fans of the page and posted almost 3,000 photographs and dozens of videos.
A cursory glance at the Facebook page reveals the current followers somewhere around 19,000. Judging by the enthusiasm of those reporting traffic offenses, this endeavor appears to be quite popular among Delhi’s netizens. Genuine tips appear to be interspersed with personal wish lists and incoherent ramblings but overall the process appears to work.
The pros – under staffed police recruits citizen volunteers to help enforce traffic laws – and cons – big brother using technology to get citizens to spy on fellow citizens – are predictable and supporters and detractors can reiterate these points times ad nauseum.
One point few have seldom mentioned is that the basic premise of this campaign – get photo evidence on the road – is flawed. Not only can photographic evidence be altered but some of those generating these evidence are driving while clicking photos with their mobile phones. I’m admittedly unfamiliar with the driving laws in Delhi. Obviously there are no “texting/clicking while driving laws” in Delhi and this poses as much of a risk as someone riding without a helmet and definitely more risky than faulty number plates or tinted windows.
So what do you think? Is this traffic campaign by the Delhi police
a. effective
b. invasion of privacy
c. all of the above
Bonus big brother story (Rueters): RIM, the makers of Blackberry, famed for its consumer/corporate email security was forced by the Indian government to open up its email services for scrutiny, under the guise of national security.
© Santosh for Über Desi, 2010. |
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