Was it legal for BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to turn off mobile network coverage in stations to prevent civil disturbances? Today, a few days after all the turmoil the perspective in the news is mixed. Some say the backlash is growing, while others question BART's right to simply turn the power off to the cell sites inside the stations.
The implications here go far deeper. Imagine you're a guest in a hotel that has a DAS system that does in building distribution of the mobile networks in order to provide coverage and the hotel hears that a flash mob will decend on a floor at the hotel at an unspecified time. To make it harder for the mob to send the news out they turn off the DAS. Same at airports, or any location where the cell signals are managed by third parties who in effect are renting the air rights inside their property.
The problem is the use of technology is surpassing the lawmaking ability of the adminstrative bodies. A new way at looking at technology and the law is needed.
Someone at BART will take the heat, but a decision made is not always a bad thing. Now that the action occured law, and order, can step in.
We likely needed this here in the USA in order to not become like Syria.
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