INDIALANTIC, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Charles Reinighaus thinks Americans
are "disenfranchised" when it comes to the war on terror. He feels like
the federal government has all the power to keep the country safe and
is missing a key component: the American people. He loves to point out
that the Times Square Bomber was not stopped by high tech cameras are
other security systems, but rather, by alert citizens who noticed
something odd and reported it. That's why Reinighaus and a group
of friends created "The Patriot App" for the iPhone. It's an application
that makes it easy to report things you think might not be on the up
and up. Reinighaus says "We didn't want citizens to have to take a passive role any longer to the government and the war on terror." The
app taps into federal tip lines. It lets you make reports, using
pre-loaded forms, in any of several categories such as "National
Security Threats," "Suspicious Activity," and "Government Waste." You
can even include photos and/or video. The app then routes your report to
the appropriate government agency like the FBI, Centers for Disease
Control or the Environmental Protection Agency. Some have already
nicknamed "The Patriot App" the "Snitch App." Reinighaus says he
realizes some may be tempted to use the app to get revenge on personal
enemies. But he says he truly believes that 99.9 percent of people are
good and will not misuse the technology. He's also quick to point out
that false reporting to the federal government can get you a fine up to
$250,000, something the application makes clear during the reporting
process. Right now the app is only available on the iPhone. But
Reinighaus says his company is currently working on a version for
Android based systems that should be available soon. "The Patriot
App" began a few months back as a $1.99 purchase in Apple's App Store.
However, the company made a free download for the holidays. Reinighaus
says the price could go back up after the first of the year. So, if
you're interested in using your iPhone to help fight crime, you might
want to download it sooner rather than later.
PatriotApp allows citizens to alert fedsDecember 18 2010 PatriotApp allows citizens to alert feds
PatriotApp allows citizens to alert fedsLaw-enforcement technologyPublished 17 December 2010
A new iPhone app -- the PatriotApp -- allows people to report criminal or suspicious activity to several federal agencies, including the FBI, EPA, CDC, and GAO, the office responsible for investigating public funds; it also includes RSS feeds for the FBI's Most Wanted list, and the Department of Homeland Security's threat level, and allows people to report workplace harassment and discrimination
PatriotApp's main menu // Source: infowars.com
A safe and secure society is at the heart of the new PatriotApp for iPhones, and while it is quickly gaining popularity, it’s also attracting scorn from people who disagree with the controversial law on which it is based.
Launched in September, the PatriotApp allows people to report criminal or suspicious activity to several federal agencies, including the FBI, EPA, CDC, and GAO (Government Accountability Office), the office responsible for investigating public funds. It also includes RSS feeds for the FBI’s Most Wanted list, and the Department of Homeland Security’s threat level, and allows people to report workplace harassment and discrimination.
MSNBC reports that the app does not grant a user privileged access to these agencies; rather, it bundles each group’s Internet tip line (ITL) — the website feature used to report incidents — and makes them mobile-phone friendly, and even enables users to send pictures. While it offers users a direct portal to each site’s ITL, the user must still go through the same process — and obey the same policies and warnings — as they would if accessing the site on a computer.
Playing off the Patriot Act name, “the app was founded on the belief that citizens can provide the most sophisticated and broad network of eyes and ears necessary to prevent terrorism, crime, environmental negligence, or other malicious behavior,” according to Patriotapps.com.
Before delving into a discussion about the PatriotApp, Dr. Roy Swiger, one of the app’s co-creators, acknowledged the inherent controversy in an app that models its mission on the Patriot Act.
“Some bloggers don’t think this is a good idea, they’re likening it to Nazi Germany,” Swiger told SecurityNewsDaily. “But a lot of folks are very positive.” Backing that point up, Swiger said since the app was made free last Friday (Dec. 10), it has been downloaded about 400 times a day.
The PatriotApp, Swiger said, is not meant to be a Big Brother-type surveillance tool that lets people report anything they deem “suspicious.” Rather, its aim is to use modern mobile technology to give people easier access in the event of a true crisis.
“I look at this basically as an instrument that can be used by folks to rapidly get tips online for various agencies all in one organized place,” Swiger told SecurityNewsDaily. “We’re not doing anything that’s not already available. I look at this as the next logical step, especially in this day and age.”
Before cell phones, if you were on the road and you saw a drunk driver, you would have to race to the nearest payphone and report it to the police, Swiger said. Cell phones have removed that step, however, and now people can report such an incident as it happens. This is how he envisions people using the PatriotApp.
“That’s what this is about, it’s about using state-of-the-art technology and information sharing and trying to do good,” Swiger said. “We wanted to show that you could use an app for something that’s important, not just entertainment.”
In the future, Swiger hopes the PatriotApp can be used implemented to allow people to report health epidemics in real time. “I really think this is a game-changer,” he said.
A game-changer, and potentially a fire starter, critics say. John Pike, a national security analyst and director of GlobalSecurity.org, believes the access granted by the PatriotApp could potentially bog down sites such as the FBI, impeding them from operating as effectively as they could.
“I think the FBI has already been flooded with useless tips from various public and government sources that have wasted a vast amount of their time to no avail,” Pike told SecurityNewsDaily.
Pike said that NSA surveillance of domestic phone conversations is a strong deterrent to preventing and intercepting potential terrorist acts. “Previously, the challenge of discovering the telephone number for the FBI would have been a deterrent to many people. But with this app, any idiot can play Junior G-man,” he said.
Swiger and co-creator Charles Reinighaus understand where the nay-sayers are coming from, but they stand behind the PatriotApp, and believe not only in its inherent mission, but in the responsibility of people to use it correctly.
“All we did was leverage current existing government outlets. If government was truly focused on open access, they would’ve done the same thing,” Reinighaus told SecurityNewsDaily. “The whole intent is to benefit society and give citizens an active role in participating in their own security rather than abdicating themselves to government — to put the people back into ‘we the people.’”
Swiger supports the people,” saying, “I’ve got confidence in the society we live in that people will use their best judgment. I don’t think it will be abused.”
The PatriotApp is available as a free download from the iTunes app store. For more information visitwww.patriotapps.com.
PatriotApp Featured By Apple As Hot New IPhone ApplicationOctober 13 2010 PatriotApp Featured By Apple As Hot New IPhone Application
PatriotApp Featured By Apple As Hot New IPhone Application
PR Newswire — October 13, 2010
INDIALANTIC, Fla., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ — Citizen Concepts was informed by Apple, Inc. that it has been chosen for inclusion in the iTunes store’s “What’s Hot?” in the News category for iPhone applications. This reinforces the positive response that the company has received since the September launch of this novel application.
“Apple choosing to feature our app amidst the sea of other apps in the News category means a lot to us,” said Dr. Roy R. Swiger, Co-Owner of Citizen Concepts. The company is thrilled that so many people have found PatriotApp(TM) to be a worthy download in their app repertoire. With each download, communities gain a vigilant citizen who cares about their community. “It’s a small but very significant means not only to enhance public safety, but also protect the environment and hold the government accountable for spending our tax dollars,” according to Jeff Swiger, Co-Owner of Citizen Concepts.
PatriotApp(TM) is an iPhone app that empowers citizens to create safer, cleaner, and more efficient communities by leveraging social networking and mobile technology. This app was founded on the belief that citizens can provide the most sophisticated and broad network of eyes and ears on the street to prevent terrorism, crime, or other malicious behavior.
Citizen Concepts, a DBA of Patriot Applications, LLC, is a software and services company established on the belief that smartphone technology will transform the workplace. To do this, Citizen Concepts uses advanced process definition and subject matter expertise.
Citizen Concepts, everything at your fingertips. Producing positive outcomes.
Citizen Concepts Announces Launch of Revolutionary iPhone App - PatriotApp™
INDIALANTIC, Fla., Sept. 2
/PRNewswire/ -- Citizen Concepts announces the launch of PatriotApp™,
the world's first iPhone application that empowers citizens to assist
government agencies in creating safer, cleaner, and more efficient
communities via social networking and mobile technology. This app was
founded on the belief that citizens can provide the most sophisticated
and broad network of eyes and ears necessary to prevent terrorism,
crime, environmental negligence, or other malicious behavior.
PatriotApp™
is a smartphone interface that provides a quick and easy link for
reporting events or citizen concerns to the appropriate governmental
agency. The PatriotApp™ interface incorporates the following subject
areas: National Security, Crime, Product Safety, Environmental Safety,
Government Waste, and Corporate Issues (discrimination, racism and white
collar crime) - all at the user's fingertips.
PatriotApp™
consolidates the real-time reporting process by using agency specific,
easy to navigate pull down menus. To further simplify this process, you
can use pre-populated forms, GPS location and photo attachments that
are seamlessly activated at login. Once submitted, a real-time response
is generated to the responsible agency and a data summary copy is
emailed to the user. Users may also post their summaries to social
networks such as Twitter, Facebook and the PatriotApp™ Blog.
Dr. Roy R. Swiger,
Co-owner of Citizen Concepts, says, "This application was created on
the belief that citizens are the strongest source of vigilance and
action. We simply leverage technology to bridge the divide between
people and their government." Chuck Reinighaus,
Co-owner of Citizen Concepts, adds, "The product is named PatriotApp™,
to remind global citizens to be continually vigilant and to engage in
preserving the security and safety of our world."
When & Where: PatriotApp™ will be available September 11th from your iTunes Store. In honor of Patriots around the world, Citizen Concepts will discount the normal $2.99 download price to $.99, for the month of September.
For more information, please contact: Dr. Roy R. Swiger: roy@patriotapps.com
Citizen
Concepts, a DBA of Patriot Applications, LLC, is a software and
services company established on the belief that smartphone technology
will transform the workplace. To do this, Citizen Concepts uses
advanced process definition and subject matter expertise.
Citizen Concepts, everything at your fingertips. Producing positive outcomes.
