Earlier today, I highlighted the ingenious use of mirrors by Ukrainian protestors to utilize non-violent, creative tactics to make powerful political statements. With violence escalating in the past 24 hours, it appears the Ukrainian government is now breaking out technological Big Brother by sending mass text messages to protestors warning them that they are being watched.
Remember: Your Government Loves You.
From CNET:
Your government wants to protect you. Because your government cares. Because your government works for you.
Except, that is, when you don’t like your government. That’s when your government works against you.
Take the Ukraine, which several people are trying to do just at the moment.
It’s decided to show what open government is really about. So it’s openly texting its citizens to tell them when they’ve been spotted protesting against the government.
As The New York Times reports, the powers-that-be are being powered by phone technology that identifies any cell phone that happens to be adjacent to where protesters are clashing with the uniformed officers of the state. (Protesting, you see, has suddenly been made illegal.)
Text messages are reportedly being sent that say: “We can see you!!!”
Yes, I have inserted quite some paraphrasing here. The texts actually say: “Dear subscriber, you are registered as a participant in a mass disturbance.”
Full article here.
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
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The Ukrainian Government is Now Mass Texting Protestors with Warning Messages originally appeared on A Lightning War for Liberty on January 22, 2014.
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