The iPhone: It'll send you to jail!

The iPhone's potential is somewhat immeasurable; it can fix a presentation on the way to work, help your kid shut up and go to sleep by playing "SpongeBob", and much more.  Now in West Virginia, it can be used to report suspicious activity to the local Homeland Security Office.  Whether it’s the new, possibly KGB agent secretary, or just your annoying neighbor, the picture you took with your iPhone will give the West Virginia “Fusion Center” information on local residents.  This report doesn’t even have to be as a result of a crime or even suspected crime, just any suspicious activity making you nervous.  The procedures are slightly hazy; it’s not clear how long information on citizens can be kept and filed, or if it’s even used.  This can possibly quell the “trigger happy” concerned citizen, wanting to report every neighbor for mowing their lawn or getting the mail.  Kentucky has a similar system in place, using basically the same concept.  Is the era of the local vigilante throwing terrorists in the slammer upon us?  I don’t think so, especially because there was no terrorism in either state in 2011.  All this means is that next time, you probably shouldn’t let your “buddy” snap your picture with his iPhone, so that he can use “Fat Booth.”   

For more information, visit Wired.
Picture found here.