Slashdot Mirror
Want To Hunt Bank Robbers? There's an App For That, Says The FBI (networkworld.com)
Long-time Slashdot reader coondoggie quotes an article from Network World: The FBI today said it released a new application making it easier for the public -- as well as financial institutions, law enforcement agencies, and others -- to view photos and information about bank robberies in different geographic areas of the country.
The FBI's new "Bank Robbers" application runs on both Android and iOS, according to the article, "and lets users sort bank robberies by the date they occurred, the category they fall under (i.e., armed serial bank robber), the FBI field office working the case, or the state where the robbery occurred." The app ties into BankRobbers.fbi.gov, which overlays FBI information about bank robberies onto Google Maps.
The app's users "can also select push notifications to be informed when a bank robbery has taken place near their location," according to the FBI's site, which adds innocently that "If the location services on your device are enabled, you can view a map that shows the relevant bank robberies that took place in your geographic area..."
The FBI's new "Bank Robbers" application runs on both Android and iOS, according to the article, "and lets users sort bank robberies by the date they occurred, the category they fall under (i.e., armed serial bank robber), the FBI field office working the case, or the state where the robbery occurred." The app ties into BankRobbers.fbi.gov, which overlays FBI information about bank robberies onto Google Maps.
The app's users "can also select push notifications to be informed when a bank robbery has taken place near their location," according to the FBI's site, which adds innocently that "If the location services on your device are enabled, you can view a map that shows the relevant bank robberies that took place in your geographic area..."
for specific situations. some criminals like to read about themselves.
Install an app made by the FBI? Uh, no thanks.
How about a app that lets one find Stingrays?
Passionately Indifferent
to think this would be a perfect opportunity for FBI malware that collects information about the American public to be distributed to your phone? They don't need a back door in the OS if you can be convinced to install one for them.
That used to be true but now it's not. There's plenty of 1080p digital security hardware now. If you have enough of them even crappy old cameras are useful. They show who got into a vehicle, then some witness fingers the vehicle, etc. But now it's not unusual for a really good face shot to come from someone's security cam.
You're right in that it's not as universally true as it once was particularly with newer businesses and big-box stores etc, but among older sole proprietorships and Chapter 'S' corporations which still make up the majority of businesses and employers in the US it's still true to a great extent.
If they upgrade video security equipment it's usually because the old hardware stopped working due to age and the better stuff was what was readily available at a discount to replace it and/or the new insurance plan has stipulations regarding security systems covering minimum acceptable video quality capability (and plans and regulations vary widely from carrier to carrier and State to State, even town to town and county to county).
It's not necessarily because they're cheap or don't care, it's more a matter of being more concerned with meeting next pay-period's payroll/taxes and similar immediate and pressing business-life/death concerns that small businesses regularly face day-in and day-out.
Strat
Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.