Posted on 05/11/2011 1:20:06 AM PDT by bruinbirdman
From next year, new phones and other hand-held devices will be required to be fitted with special chips to receive the alerts, which will also be sent by state and local authorities. Users will be able to opt out of every type of alert except those from the president, said the Federal Communications Commission.
The system will include alerts about missing children and will supersede all other phone traffic to avoid delays.
Mr Obama, who has been dubbed the "texter-in-chief" thanks to his devotion to his BlackBerry and heavy use of text messages during his 2008 campaign, may face criticism from libertarians for the compulsory nature of the presidential alerts.
But officials see the system, known as Personal Localized Alerting Network, or Plan, as a logical progression from alerting the public via radio and television.
"The lesson that was reinforced on 9/11 was the importance of getting clear and accurate information to the public during a crisis," said Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York, where the scheme will be deployed first next year. It will then move to Washington and most other large cities.
He called the alerts a "quantum leap forward in using
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
It's either rollback or collapse at this point.
Big Brother is watching you!
IF AND ONLY IF I have the option of negating it.
Such as: "Do you wish to contribute $1.00 to the federal campaign fund?" Yes ___ , No ____
"Do you wish to receive terrorist activity warnings from the stain on your cell phone?" Yes ___ , No ___
I believe answering this question would also provide a useful indicator of the stain's popularity.
I hear you!
When companies are forced to do this-who can make them? Is it the President himself?One of his agencies? Who? Will congress vote on this invasion?
This is a program that leaves all kinds of invasion open to the president...I don't want his FRIGGEN ALERTS-I have a radio and I have a TV.
uhbama-you had better keep you dirty little obvious 'have a good day' plans to those who WANT to get a message from you and leave the private cell phone makers in America ALONE.
Go play some golf and smoke some more dope, you creepy filthy communist.
Terror Alert: “I am Barack Obama, and I am your president!”
The Brak show starring Brak Obama.
Dear Leader, every day, every channel.
Next? Heck, they are already doling out the free phones (both cell and landline) to people receiving food stamps or other types of welfare: SafeLink Wireless. I happened to be home one afternoon last week and nearly got nauseous as I saw three or four different companies running commercials time after time during mid-day television programming begging people to call and claim their "government sponsored free phone and monthly minutes". How about: get off your lazy behinds during the day, get a job, and pay for the dang thing like the rest of us?
The first Emergency text should say: “Emergency! Your White House has been taken over by a dirty moslem communist!”
If there weren't other purposes they wouldn't make the chips mandatory. There is no valid reason for making this mandatory. If you want this "service" it should be voluntary. I have a cache of slightly used Motorola GSM phones I picked up dirt cheap a while back. I won't be carrying one of these new phones with the chip for many years unless they force a phase out the older phones.
One of the most troubling aspects of this service, for me, is the fact that regardless of the network traffic at the time of a text alert, the government text will bump all other activity off the phone networks to get through. So, essentially, it is a backdoor method to essentially tie up all cell networks to make it impossible for other use by citizens. It smells like a cell phone “off” switch to me, just under a different name.
The emergency text messages will include alerts issued by the president, information about public safety threats and Amber Alerts for missing children. Text messages will be sent to customers of participating cellphone companies who are in an area affected by the emergency. Users can opt out of any of the alerts except the presidential messages.
And we can’t opt out? Our Dear Leader in action.
Is it possible for someone to embed a tracking or listening application surreptitiously when sending a message to citizens?
Free Republic Runs ONLY On Your Donations.
Make Yours NOW and End the FReepathon!
The government is in your light bulbs, toilets, automobiles, cellphones, food, banks, homes, schools, air, water, trees, land ... the new god of government is everywhere, all the time. And if the government wants to “send you a message”, you are required by law to receive it.
Anyone who thinks we live in a Constitutional Republic where the government has defined, limited powers, is delusional.
Exactly.....
“The Perilous Path To Proper Patriotism”
http://ppjg.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/the-perilous-path-to-proper-patriotism/
Excerpt:
“And what about those famous last words from 9/11? Remember them “Let’s Roll” being the most famous? Individuals who let the rest of the world know that they knew their deaths were imminent and that they would go down as free people. Maybe not in a place or time of their choosing, but by their own actions.
Imagine being somewhere knowing your time has come. You pick up your cell, Blackberry, IPhone, whatever to call that loved one. Your wife holding your child in her arms, clinging to the hope that somehow you were late, not there, oh god no…..only to hear President Whoever explaining in your ear or texting how “America is under attack but our great nation can withstand yet another”. Screw your right to say good-bye, make your peace, live your life.”
Not to mention terrorists subverting the things. Obama presses his "cool button", and 2000 subverted cellphones do evil and lethal stuff.
You don't give the enemy access to anything.
Why is a “special chip” even necessary?
Because they said so.
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