Periscoping Crime

<p><em>The Periscope and Meerkat apps and the freedom to stream video to the world are so new that it may not always be easy to see the best that’s put out right now</em><br><br>When Periscope and Meerkat, the two instant video streaming apps that turned anyone with a phone into a broadcaster, first appeared, I had said that something has changed forever, a line has been crossed, with video. It didn’t happen abruptly and nor would I expect it to, but from then on, the power in the video creating world shifted from experts to anyone. And this has widespread implications, even though they will take their time unfolding.<br><br>Periscope and Meerkat, mentioned together only because they launched at almost the same time, are apps that are now on both iOS and Android devices and that use the phone’s camera to stream video straight to the app and to Twitter. Periscope belongs to Twitter and works directly with the social network. Early adopters had a field day recording all sorts of things, including, predictably enough, all manner of nonsense. A video of someone picking his nose could sit side by side with a stream of a great walk by the riverside, for instance.<br><br>These apps and the freedom to stream video to the world are so new that it may not always be easy to see the best that’s put out right now. But in time, it’ll happen. But it seems one of the early adopters of Periscope is the Bangalore police, who believe that in time, the general public can use video streaming to report crimes they come across. Good thought and full marks for forward thinking. For now, they’re starting with streaming police conferences.<br><br>When these apps launched, I watched a stream from the location of a crime. Someone had been murdered and a passerby was shooting the aftermath. Despite the fact that there was nothing more of the crime to see and people and police were just milling around in a cordoned-off area, it was very disturbing to see. And different from a TV report. For one, there was the atmosphere that you could experience, unhindered by the usual cliché of news broadcasting. For another, you could see things through an emotional lens as the “broadcaster” focused on whatever was bothering him most. In this case it was the mother of the victim, crazed with grief.<br><br>Gradually, the general public will get more savvy and alert about what they stream and how to make that more conducive to getting help quickly. Technology has certainly brought in a new era of transparency, but culture has to catch up with it first. In present times, when violence has become so much more prevalent, obviously using a phone to film a crime is likely to get the broadcaster beaten up, or worse. For decades we have been unwilling to get involved in any part of the reporting a crime or even helping the victim, for fear of our own safety. To go from that to outright filming a crime being enacted is a far cry. By the time the general pubic and police get used to it, perhaps potential criminals will think the possibility of being filmed and beamed instantly enough of a deterrent.<br><br>For now, if devices and cellular connectivity allows, it might be interesting to Periscope say, a cab ride, in the interest of greater safety.</p>