Networked Revolution

“Masked demonstrators protest against the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by holding up signs on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri. Photo: AFP Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/ferguson-riots-one-shot-7-arrested-in-renewed-violence-20140818-105794.html#ixzz3AoI2AEj3”

A recent break out of riots in Ferguson ensued the Police shooting of an un-armed black teenager. Subsequently, three teenagers in Georgia designed a smartphone app, “Five-O”, which allows users to track police brutality. Anyone has the ability to now record their experience into the data-base and share this with other users. User’s can additionally include their race and gender.

The platform itself is an online facilitation of citizenship journalism, hence it’s relevance to Networked Media: users across the US are connected via their smartphones. By designing a simple interface that allows anyone to post directly from their phones, Five-O expedites an online community of anti-law revolution; it gives individual’s the power to speak out against injustice and connect with others’ who have similarly experienced this. It uses the web to unite citizens across the country against police brutality.

This is an example of the power of the web. If the app takes off and is used as intended, will the issue of racially-charged police brutality be targeted? Can Five-O spark a virtual revolution against injustice?

 

George

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