CorpComms Magazine

Anti-capitalist protesters in Seattle are promoting an Android app that notifies friends, family and legal professionals, in the event of an arrest.

A protest movement called Occupy Seattle has sent out a press release urging people to use the app at a forthcoming protest scheduled to coincide with a speech in the city by Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase.

The app, which is called 'I'm Getting Arrested', enables anyone to send a custom message to designated SMS numbers as soon as they are arrested.

'Alert your lawyer, loved ones, etc ... that you are being arrested with a click,' the app makers say. The app was designed by technologist Jason Van Anden who was inspired by the Wall Street Protests.

In the two weeks since its release, the app has reportedly been downloaded more than 5,600 times. Most of these downloads took place within the United States followed by the United Arab Emirates and Belarus.

So far the app has had mixed reviews. One said: 'Monster.com makes an app to help you look for a job. How about downloading that one instead?'

And another suggested revisions to its location-based elements. '[The developers] could add recent location for situations when GPS signal is not available.'

The user then suggested that the app could be used in situations other than anti-capitalist protests. 'Since there are more than 1000 ways to get arrested where I live this will be very useful. And yes, contact list and social network will be useful.'

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