Do Authorities Have the Right To Disconnect Wireless Service? [OPEN TH

[Waqas 48]

San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) cut off cell service at four stations last Thursday, hoping to quell potential protesters. Protest organizers had announced they would coordinate efforts via mobile devices, much like rioters in London last week communicated through BlackBerry Messenger.

The BART police defended their action as a necessary measure to protect the safety of commuters on the train platform.

In June, however, the United Nations declared access to the Internet a human right and that disconnecting service is a violation of international law. This distinction gets far muddier when that access could be used for planned criminal or dangerous behavior, as BART claimed the protests could become.

Grassroots protest and demonstrations are on the rise from Athens to London, Tel Aviv to San Francisco and China to Madrid. In all cases, mobile technology is playing a key role in organizing and spreading the message. So here’s what we want you to discuss:

Do cities have the right to disrupt wireless service to prevent illegal or violent activity?

Let us know in the comments if you think it’s a violation of human rights or a necessary safety precaution.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ManuelVelasco

More About: human rights, Mobile 2.0, net neutrality, protest, social good

For more Social Good coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Good on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Good channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad