Publishing photos of people you believe to be suspects can be dangerous for a number of reasons. Obviously they could be completely innocent so it's a privacy issue - they went out supporting a marathon wearing a backpack- that's their business.
If they are real suspects though their lawyers will have access to the photos/videos and it might be harder to get a conviction. Certainly harder than if they reveal something key. I heard they've actually got CCTV footage of one of the suspects taking off the rucksack and leaving it where the bomb was meant to have gone off. They're not releasing that video for obvious reasons.
So, basically, not the two fellas that had their mugs plastered all over Twitter last night then? Lovely old job. The internet strikes again.
It was not just 2 - pictures of at least 6 or 7 different potential suspects were posted on the internet over the last few days. Several of these people contacted the police/FBI to establish their innocence.
Seems the police have done the jobs themselves very quickly with no need for stupid speculation and guesswork.
Disagree. I think the explosion of CCTV, camera phones and social media allowing the quick dissemination of information and pictures is a massive weapon to help free societies to protect themselves from these types of terrorists. It acts as a deterrent and helps in the eventual capture of the perpetrators.
Many pictures of innocent people were published. I would doubt any of these people, if they are innocent, would feel their civil rights or whatever have been infringed. It is an unfortunate byproduct of a free society's fight against dark forces that threaten that freedom.
Many of these people presented themselves to the police thus saving police time if police did decide they would like to speak to an individual in one of the photos/ images on CCTV or sent to them by members of the public.
The one important caveat I would stress is that it is only acceptable to post pictures of individuals on the internet when it is directly related to a situation where a crime has been committed and police have asked the public to send them any images that might be suspicious or be of help in the investigation.
So you think it's right to try people by the court of mob opinion? I wonder if you'd feel the same way if it was your face that was plastered all over the internet and had to basically turn yourself in to the gavvers for fear of them crashing your front door in and putting a bullet in your head otherwise? Personally, I'd rather not have the trouble and hassle of having to go to the cops and tell them I didn't blow up so-and-so event - I just happened to be there enjoying it, whilst being a bit foreign looking and carrying a rucksack.
If you really think that social media (or the traditional media, for that matter) is helping the police, try asking them what it's like running a murder enquiry now that everyone has a platform available to them that allows them to shout their 'theories' loud to everyone. The amount of resources they have to dedicate to every crackpot who fancies themselves as Columbo is a massive detriment to any proper investigation - and, last I looked, it was the police that identified these two douchebags, rather than some hipster with his fucking iPhone.
When it happens in London again I really could not care less if in the hunt for the suspects you or any innocent people who in someway match the description of the people the police are looking for have to go through the 'trouble' of presenting themselves to the police in order to establish their innocence.
I have not seen all the pictures that were published on twitter. But the 10 or 12 I saw all showed men carrying black rucksacks. So it is quite possible that photos of these two were published on twitter.
Apparently the Boston bomb suspects are from Russia region near Chechnya, lived in US at least 1 year
Has that been confirmed officially as otherwise it could be a dangerous thing to state.
CCTV etc is a good thing IMHO.
It's not the monitoring or filming that people have a problem with in this case.
Rather it is putting up images and naming people as the bombers on little or no evidence.
The missing poster posted above is a month old. How must his family feel to have a son missing and now for people all over the world calling him a terrorist when it isn't even clear if he is a suspect.
Believe the police are saying so. Brothers apparently.
So, basically, not the two fellas that had their mugs plastered all over Twitter last night then? Lovely old job. The internet strikes again.
It was not just 2 - pictures of at least 6 or 7 different potential suspects were posted on the internet over the last few days. Several of these people contacted the police/FBI to establish their innocence.
Seems the police have done the jobs themselves very quickly with no need for stupid speculation and guesswork.
Disagree. I think the explosion of CCTV, camera phones and social media allowing the quick dissemination of information and pictures is a massive weapon to help free societies to protect themselves from these types of terrorists. It acts as a deterrent and helps in the eventual capture of the perpetrators.
Many pictures of innocent people were published. I would doubt any of these people, if they are innocent, would feel their civil rights or whatever have been infringed. It is an unfortunate byproduct of a free society's fight against dark forces that threaten that freedom.
Many of these people presented themselves to the police thus saving police time if police did decide they would like to speak to an individual in one of the photos/ images on CCTV or sent to them by members of the public.
The one important caveat I would stress is that it is only acceptable to post pictures of individuals on the internet when it is directly related to a situation where a crime has been committed and police have asked the public to send them any images that might be suspicious or be of help in the investigation.
So you think it's right to try people by the court of mob opinion? I wonder if you'd feel the same way if it was your face that was plastered all over the internet and had to basically turn yourself in to the gavvers for fear of them crashing your front door in and putting a bullet in your head otherwise? Personally, I'd rather not have the trouble and hassle of having to go to the cops and tell them I didn't blow up so-and-so event - I just happened to be there enjoying it, whilst being a bit foreign looking and carrying a rucksack.
If you really think that social media (or the traditional media, for that matter) is helping the police, try asking them what it's like running a murder enquiry now that everyone has a platform available to them that allows them to shout their 'theories' loud to everyone. The amount of resources they have to dedicate to every crackpot who fancies themselves as Columbo is a massive detriment to any proper investigation - and, last I looked, it was the police that identified these two douchebags, rather than some hipster with his fucking iPhone.
When it happens in London again I really could not care less if in the hunt for the suspects you or any innocent people who in someway match the description of the people the police are looking for have to go through the 'trouble' of presenting themselves to the police in order to establish their innocence.
I have not seen all the pictures that were published on twitter. But the 10 or 12 I saw all showed men carrying black rucksacks. So it is quite possible that photos of these two were published on twitter.
Fair enough then. Can't argue with that. Lets hope you're never on the wrong end of the law then, eh? And that you trust the police implicitly to do the right thing. And that you also trust the media not to make your name and face public as part of any ongoing enquiry. And that you;re completely fine with any and every aspect of your private klife potentially being pored over by people you know nothing about. All because you carry a rucksack.
But Red, along with the pics of the '10 or 12 carrying rucksacks' you also circulated via the net the photo and details of an Indian American who has been a missing person for the last month, where the was no connection of him to Boston or the bombers (other than the fact he looked foreign and is a missing person). Thousands of others circulated details of him and within what, 5 hours, hundreds of millions of people worldwide know of him and linking him to being a bomber.
Now on a different scale, apply the same to someone else (you), having your name and picture circulated as a rapist, or a peodophile, or a child murderer.
If you can't see that that is not right, there is no point having the debate on it.
To take the analogy a bit further, say one of those poor fuckers who had their pictures posted on Twitter was completely unaware of it, and got identified by a neighbour. If the Police took it seriously, then quite literally the first thing he might know of it would be ten blokes with firearms pointing in his face as he woke up in the morning. Now say that bloke was having an affair. Or was gay and sleeping with his boyfriend at the time. There are now ten people - in authority - who know about the affair, or his hitherto safely-guarded sexuality - to his no doubt acute embarrassment. Do you think that's acceptable, simply because some completely unqualified twats suspect he might be a terrorist?
It's a witch-hunt - plain and simple.
If it happens in London again, and I have friends or family who have had their legs blown off, I could not give a shit about the rights and wrong of during the hunt for the culprits exposing an innocent person as having an affair or a hitherto closeted gay having his secret revealed to his friends and family. In these circumstances there is not a word in the english language that could accurately describe how little I care about that.
Now on a different scale, apply the same to someone else (you), having your name and picture circulated as a rapist, or a peodophile, or a child murderer.
From my original post.
The one important caveat I would stress is that it is only acceptable to post pictures of individuals on the internet when it is directly related to a situation where a crime has been committed and police have asked the public to send them any images that might be suspicious or be of help in the investigation.
Now on a different scale, apply the same to someone else (you), having your name and picture circulated as a rapist, or a peodophile, or a child murderer.
From my original post.
The one important caveat I would stress is that it is only acceptable to post pictures of individuals on the internet when it is directly related to a situation where a crime has been committed and police have asked the public to send them any images that might be suspicious or be of help in the investigation.
That's fine... no-one is saying don't film things, and send the evidence to the police if its relevant. The problem is splashing it all over the internet
To take the analogy a bit further, say one of those poor fuckers who had their pictures posted on Twitter was completely unaware of it, and got identified by a neighbour. If the Police took it seriously, then quite literally the first thing he might know of it would be ten blokes with firearms pointing in his face as he woke up in the morning. Now say that bloke was having an affair. Or was gay and sleeping with his boyfriend at the time. There are now ten people - in authority - who know about the affair, or his hitherto safely-guarded sexuality - to his no doubt acute embarrassment. Do you think that's acceptable, simply because some completely unqualified twats suspect he might be a terrorist?
It's a witch-hunt - plain and simple.
If it happens in London again, and I have friends or family who have had their legs blown off, I could not give a shit about the rights and wrong of during the hunt for the culprits exposing an innocent person as having an affair or a hitherto closeted gay having his secret revealed to his friends and family. In these circumstances there is not a word in the english language that could accurately describe how little I care about that.
Unless it was you being accused of doing it, presumably.
To take the analogy a bit further, say one of those poor fuckers who had their pictures posted on Twitter was completely unaware of it, and got identified by a neighbour. If the Police took it seriously, then quite literally the first thing he might know of it would be ten blokes with firearms pointing in his face as he woke up in the morning. Now say that bloke was having an affair. Or was gay and sleeping with his boyfriend at the time. There are now ten people - in authority - who know about the affair, or his hitherto safely-guarded sexuality - to his no doubt acute embarrassment. Do you think that's acceptable, simply because some completely unqualified twats suspect he might be a terrorist?
It's a witch-hunt - plain and simple.
If it happens in London again, and I have friends or family who have had their legs blown off, I could not give a shit about the rights and wrong of during the hunt for the culprits exposing an innocent person as having an affair or a hitherto closeted gay having his secret revealed to his friends and family. In these circumstances there is not a word in the english language that could accurately describe how little I care about that.
There is so much fail in that statement that it isn't even worth responding to.
The example I think of is Robert Muscat (I think his name was) in the Madeleine McCann case a few years back. The rumour started somewhere, the press picked up the story and a few 'inside sources' started prattling about all kinds of suspicious behaviour and creepy beliefs. Turned out, all of it was a crock of shit, he had nothing to do with any of it. Now his name has been generally forgotten, thankfully, but for a few months or so his life must have been ruined.
If you genuinely think you know something about a case, go to the police and only the police, they are the only people qualified to make judgments about suspects.
Having shut down the whole of Boston (schools, businesses, public transport, even taxis) how long do they keep it shut down? What if they dont find him for days.
They now seem to think something has happened but the TV news constant need for "news" means they are having to fill, fill, fill.
So, basically, not the two fellas that had their mugs plastered all over Twitter last night then? Lovely old job. The internet strikes again.
It was not just 2 - pictures of at least 6 or 7 different potential suspects were posted on the internet over the last few days. Several of these people contacted the police/FBI to establish their innocence.
Seems the police have done the jobs themselves very quickly with no need for stupid speculation and guesswork.
Disagree. I think the explosion of CCTV, camera phones and social media allowing the quick dissemination of information and pictures is a massive weapon to help free societies to protect themselves from these types of terrorists. It acts as a deterrent and helps in the eventual capture of the perpetrators.
Many pictures of innocent people were published. I would doubt any of these people, if they are innocent, would feel their civil rights or whatever have been infringed. It is an unfortunate byproduct of a free society's fight against dark forces that threaten that freedom.
Many of these people presented themselves to the police thus saving police time if police did decide they would like to speak to an individual in one of the photos/ images on CCTV or sent to them by members of the public.
The one important caveat I would stress is that it is only acceptable to post pictures of individuals on the internet when it is directly related to a situation where a crime has been committed and police have asked the public to send them any images that might be suspicious or be of help in the investigation.
from the Guardian, who have picked up a story from the DM:
It would appear that this lad is unsurprisingly unhappy about being named a suspect.
" A teenage boy, who was wrongly identified earlier this week on the internet as a bomb suspect, says he still fears for his life despite being cleared by the police.
Sulahaddin Barhoum, a 17-year-old Moroccan, who moved to the US with his family, told the Daily Mail:
Late last night friends started calling and emailing me – they said my photo was all over the internet, that I was a suspect in the Boston bombing.
I was terrified, I have never been in trouble and I feared for my security.
I called a friend to take me to the state police – I walked in to the lobby and told them I thought I was wanted by the FBI. They didn’t know what to make of it.
I was there about 25 minutes but I was very frightened. I still am – my photograph is all over the internet and I worry that someone, a mad person, might come after me and my family."
So, basically, not the two fellas that had their mugs plastered all over Twitter last night then? Lovely old job. The internet strikes again.
It was not just 2 - pictures of at least 6 or 7 different potential suspects were posted on the internet over the last few days. Several of these people contacted the police/FBI to establish their innocence.
Seems the police have done the jobs themselves very quickly with no need for stupid speculation and guesswork.
Disagree. I think the explosion of CCTV, camera phones and social media allowing the quick dissemination of information and pictures is a massive weapon to help free societies to protect themselves from these types of terrorists. It acts as a deterrent and helps in the eventual capture of the perpetrators.
Many pictures of innocent people were published. I would doubt any of these people, if they are innocent, would feel their civil rights or whatever have been infringed. It is an unfortunate byproduct of a free society's fight against dark forces that threaten that freedom.
Many of these people presented themselves to the police thus saving police time if police did decide they would like to speak to an individual in one of the photos/ images on CCTV or sent to them by members of the public.
The one important caveat I would stress is that it is only acceptable to post pictures of individuals on the internet when it is directly related to a situation where a crime has been committed and police have asked the public to send them any images that might be suspicious or be of help in the investigation.
from the Guardian, who have picked up a story from the DM:
It would appear that this lad is unsurprisingly unhappy about being named a suspect.
" A teenage boy, who was wrongly identified earlier this week on the internet as a bomb suspect, says he still fears for his life despite being cleared by the police.
Sulahaddin Barhoum, a 17-year-old Moroccan, who moved to the US with his family, told the Daily Mail:
Late last night friends started calling and emailing me – they said my photo was all over the internet, that I was a suspect in the Boston bombing.
I was terrified, I have never been in trouble and I feared for my security.
I called a friend to take me to the state police – I walked in to the lobby and told them I thought I was wanted by the FBI. They didn’t know what to make of it.
I was there about 25 minutes but I was very frightened. I still am – my photograph is all over the internet and I worry that someone, a mad person, might come after me and my family."
Regretably it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt, killed or gets off on a miss-trial due to some idiotic Miss Marple wannabe putting the wrong name or photo out there. Don't forget the protests in Pompey against suspected paediatricians (sic)!
Have I mentioned on here how much I hate Twitter...
The example I think of is Robert Muscat (I think his name was) in the Madeleine McCann case a few years back. The rumour started somewhere, the press picked up the story and a few 'inside sources' started prattling about all kinds of suspicious behaviour and creepy beliefs. Turned out, all of it was a crock of shit, he had nothing to do with any of it. Now his name has been generally forgotten, thankfully, but for a few months or so his life must have been ruined.
If you genuinely think you know something about a case, go to the police and only the police, they are the only people qualified to make judgments about suspects.
His name was Robert Murat, another good example of tabloid speculation wrongly naming a suspect and trying him before the Courts could do things properly was Chris Jefferies, a neighbour and landlord of Joanne Yeates. He too was summarily tried and convicted by half a dozen tabloid newspapers who fell over themselves in a rush to pronounce him guilty.
The example I think of is Robert Muscat (I think his name was) in the Madeleine McCann case a few years back. The rumour started somewhere, the press picked up the story and a few 'inside sources' started prattling about all kinds of suspicious behaviour and creepy beliefs. Turned out, all of it was a crock of shit, he had nothing to do with any of it. Now his name has been generally forgotten, thankfully, but for a few months or so his life must have been ruined.
If you genuinely think you know something about a case, go to the police and only the police, they are the only people qualified to make judgments about suspects.
His name was Robert Murat, another good example of tabloid speculation wrongly naming a suspect and trying him before the Courts could do things properly was Chris Jefferies, a neighbour and landlord of Joanne Yeates. He too was summarily tried and convicted by half a dozen tabloid newspapers who fell over themselves in a rush to pronounce him guilty.
The problem often is, the court of public opinion seems to take precedence over the actual court of law. It doesn't matter if you have a rock solid alibi, strong character witnesses and clear evidence you could not possibly have committed the crime, once the tabloids smell blood you are screwed.
incredible events last night, I happened to glance at twitter almost the same time as the first reports of the policeman being killed appeared - somebody posted the Boston EMS scanner & I listened to the whole thing unfold live - probably an hour of unbelievable tension & drama before any of the mainstream media picked it up - the power of social media became so apparent to me last night, the mainstream news was so far behind what was happening last night....
Comments
If they are real suspects though their lawyers will have access to the photos/videos and it might be harder to get a conviction. Certainly harder than if they reveal something key. I heard they've actually got CCTV footage of one of the suspects taking off the rucksack and leaving it where the bomb was meant to have gone off. They're not releasing that video for obvious reasons.
I have not seen all the pictures that were published on twitter. But the 10 or 12 I saw all showed men carrying black rucksacks. So it is quite possible that photos of these two were published on twitter.
Welcome to the digital age!
Now on a different scale, apply the same to someone else (you), having your name and picture circulated as a rapist, or a peodophile, or a child murderer.
If you can't see that that is not right, there is no point having the debate on it.
The one important caveat I would stress is that it is only acceptable to post pictures of individuals on the internet when it is directly related to a situation where a crime has been committed and police have asked the public to send them any images that might be suspicious or be of help in the investigation.
If you genuinely think you know something about a case, go to the police and only the police, they are the only people qualified to make judgments about suspects.
Mind you the way the info has been so suspect it might well turn out to be Mum and Pop Smith from Long Beach !!
I'm halfway though a series of 24, watching 3 episodes a night. The only other TV I'm watching is Sky News / CNN regarding this.
Its becoming increasingly harder to determine which one is the fiction and which one is the reality.
Press coverage of 'live incidents' is incredible, whether you think good or bad.
Crazy world.
Having shut down the whole of Boston (schools, businesses, public transport, even taxis) how long do they keep it shut down? What if they dont find him for days.
They now seem to think something has happened but the TV news constant need for "news" means they are having to fill, fill, fill.
It would appear that this lad is unsurprisingly unhappy about being named a suspect.
"
A teenage boy, who was wrongly identified earlier this week on the internet as a bomb suspect, says he still fears for his life despite being cleared by the police.
Sulahaddin Barhoum, a 17-year-old Moroccan, who moved to the US with his family, told the Daily Mail:
Late last night friends started calling and emailing me – they said my photo was all over the internet, that I was a suspect in the Boston bombing.
I was terrified, I have never been in trouble and I feared for my security.
I called a friend to take me to the state police – I walked in to the lobby and told them I thought I was wanted by the FBI. They didn’t know what to make of it.
I was there about 25 minutes but I was very frightened. I still am – my photograph is all over the internet and I worry that someone, a mad person, might come after me and my family."
Have I mentioned on here how much I hate Twitter...
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