Mesh Networking For Freedom

By: Zach McCormick
3/23/14


Mike Elgan's piece titled "How an Under-Appreciated iOS 7 Feature Will Change the World" outlines how a new software tweak in Apple's iOS 7.1 will allow users to communicate with each other without a traditional internet connection. 

If your eyes are starting to glaze over, don't worry; I'm not smart enough to get into a technical discussion on the why this stuff works. Yet I think Mr. Elgan is spot on with his assertion that this type of technology will "change the world", especially in democratic republics. 

If this tech lives up to its potential, then each cell phone basically acts as a miniature cellphone tower and repeats the signal to other cell phones in range. The more users, the larger the network. So for example, if all the cell phone towers and all the internet connections in a given area were disabled (like when a hurricane hits), people using this type of tech could still anonymously communicate in short to medium ranges as long as enough users were present. 

Elgan's piece focuses on the iPhone's new ability to accomplish this with an app called "Firechat". Firechat's interface looks very much like most other messaging apps and, although there is room for improvement, its simple to use. 

What does this have to do with democracy? Well, history has shown us that the preservation of liberty depends on communication which is free from censorship. The recent events in the middle east are proof that when communication is centrally controlled it is vulnerable to the most powerful interests who have the ability to control that communication and so repress liberty. (For ex: Twitter access in Turkey restricted).

As with every instance where people are free to say what they want without consequence, there will be some 'political incorrectness'.  However, the whole point of the 1st Amendment is that we should be free to say what we want and be willing to grow skin thick enough to deal with the words that hurt.