Cellphones have become a very powerful weapon in the hands of civilians worldwide. They have the capability of recording events and distributing them to various social networks. These recorded events have the capability of enlightening a vast aray of viewers throughout the world of hot button issues such as police brutality and abuse of power.
The United States has proven that the use of smartphones can be a useful tool to bring awareness and fight off oppressive police conduct. Many nations have followed the United States’ lead to highlight corruption and abuse in the hopes of bringing about deterrence of these issues. According to Searcey and Barry’s article, a civilian witnessed a bus driver being threatened by soldiers brandishing firearms. The civilian took out his phone and began to record in an effort to deter this apparent abuse of power against innocent people.[1] The increased use of smartphones in recording and sharing videos in West Africa are due to longstanding frustrations about abuse of power and lack of prosecution of responsible perpetrators. The use of technology to bring about awareness of police abuse of power will hopefully trigger governments to take action to eliminate this unacceptable behavior.
[1] Dionne Searcey and Jaime Barry, Inspired by the U.S., West Africans Wield Smartphones to Fight Police Abuse, NY Times (Sept. 16, 2016). http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/world/africa/police-abuse-videos-west-africa.html?ref=technology&_r=0