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May 18, 2005
US: Wireless Industry and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Team Up for Child Safety
Wireless Industry and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Team Up for Child Safety
Statistics show that when a child is abducted, the first three hours are the most critical to recovering the child alive. Recognizing their unique ability to provide timely assistance to law enforcement in these unfortunate situations, the wireless industry and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) have officially partnered to launch Wireless AMBER Alerts', an initiative that will help galvanize 182-million wireless subscribers in the search for an abducted child. Beginning today, any wireless subscriber capable of receiving text messages, and whose wireless carrier participates in the Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative, may opt in to receive alerts by registering at www.wirelessamberalerts.org or their wireless carrier's website. Subscribers may designate up to five geographic areas for which they would like to receive Wireless AMBER Alerts.
While I do support any initiative that promotes safety for children, alarm bells go off in my head whenever, without any consideration for the deeper effects, we add one more technological layer to the surveillance net that surrounds us. Watch your children. Be part of your physical community. Connect with families. But with each new form of technological surveillance the impact on our identity and sense of self is challenged.
Posted by jason at May 18, 2005 10:35 AM