VOA慢速英语--信息技术正在推动世界范围内的抗议活动

Messaging Technology Is Helping¹ Fuel Worldwide Protests

Technology is increasingly being used to mobilize groups protesting police violence and racial inequality across the United States.

Messaging applications, or apps, are one of the main tools helping demonstrators communicate in real-time about where protests are happening. Other technology tools are being used to record violence by police or demonstrators and listen to police communications.

Last weekend, Michelle Burris learned about a protest in downtown Washington D.C. through a Facebook message from a friend. When her friend asked her to join the protest, she said she knew she had to go.

Burris bought a face covering with the expression "Black Lives Matter" on it to wear to the demonstration². That expression has been the central message shared by people taking part in widespread protests in recent weeks following the death of George Floyd.

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died on May 25 after a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, kneeled on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. The incident was caught on video.

Burris marched carrying a sign that read "No Justice, No Peace." After the first protest ended, she pulled up details on Instagram for another demonstration nearby involving a long line of cars.

"It was extremely powerful, not only Facebook but Instagram," Burris told The Associated Press. "It was very easy to mobilize."

Protesters are turning to secure messaging services like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram to share information. These apps can encrypt, or change parts of a message to improve user privacy.

These apps, along with others for listening to police communications and recording³ video, are growing in popularity.

Experts say the most widely used apps are the ones that are easy to use and can reach large groups. Steve Jones is a media researcher who studies communication technology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He told the Associated Press that "reaching as many people as possible is the number one criterion for which platform someone is going to use."

The experts say this is why social media services like Twitter, Facebook and Facebook-owned Instagram have become top tools for organizing and documenting mass protests.

Steve Jones noted⁴ that 50 years ago, during America's civil rights protests, it was almost impossible to know what was going on during a protest. "There was a lot of rumor⁵, a lot of hearsay⁶," he said. "Now you can reach everyone almost instantaneously."

Sarah Wildman said she used Instagram to find and document several protests she attended in Atlanta, Georgia. Wildman said she uses Instagram's live broadcasting service to find out what is happening during large protests. This is especially important when protesters in the back might not know what is happening at the front.

Organizers are also using Telegram, an app that permits private messages to be sent to thousands of people at once. This makes it possible for information on protest areas and times, as well as where police are making arrests, to be shared across entire cities. One New York City Telegram channel for protests grew from just under 300 followers⁷ to nearly 2,500 followers last week.

The ease of shooting and sharing video has also led to recordings⁸ of violence being shared with millions of people within moments. Smartphone video of the police incident involving George Floyd helped fuel the widespread anger that led to the protests.

Apptopia is a company that records data on app use. It reports messaging apps offering encrypted communication, like Signal, are seeing an increase in downloads. Signal was downloaded 37,000 times last weekend in the U.S., the largest number since it launched in 2014.

Apps like Police Scanner and 5-0 Police Scanner, which permit anyone to listen to live police communications, were downloaded 213,000 times over the weekend, Apptopia reported.

The Anti-Defamation League, or ADL, said it had found evidence that some groups were using technology to try to harm the protest efforts. The ADL's Center on Extremism said recently that white supremacists had attempted to use Telegram to increase violence.

The ADL said the efforts by white supremacists appeared to be aimed at using the protest environment to start "a long promised race war" in America. "They are extremely active online, urging other white supremacists to take full advantage of the moment," the ADL added.

I'm Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

mobilize – v. to bring people together for action

criterion – n. something that is used as a reason for making a judgment⁹ or decision

platform – n. a program or set of programs that controls the way a computer works and runs other programs

rumor – n. information or a story that is passed from person to person but has not been proven to be true

hearsay – n. something heard from another person

channel – n. a system used for sending something, such as information or supplies, from one place or person to another

white supremacist – n. a person who believes that the white race is better than all other races and should have control over all other races

take advantage of – v. to use something, such as an opportunity in a way that helps you

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

3 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 rumor   

n.谣言，谣传，传说

参考例句：

• The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
• The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。

6 hearsay   

n.谣传，风闻

参考例句：

• They started to piece the story together from hearsay.他们开始根据传闻把事情的经过一点点拼湊起来。
• You are only supposing this on hearsay.You have no proof.你只是根据传闻想像而已，并没有证据。

7 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

8 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

9 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。