[zozbot234]

> developed an app that allows people to know where demonstrations are happening

Sounds like a bit of welcomed transparency to me. The Spanish police, concerned citizenry, etc. can use the app just as much as anyone else, to prevent things from getting out of hand.

(*Edited for consistency with newly-provided info in this HN thread.)

[jannes]

I believe the app requires you to be invited via QR code by an existing member to gain access.

Of course, the police would be able to infiltrate this with a bit of effort.

[iagovar]

> The Spanish police, concerned citizenry, etc. can use the app just as much as anyone else, to prevent things from getting out of hand

They can't. The app uses some kind of location data to silo information. So for example if they want to make an action in Tarragona, people from Barcelona is not going to know about it.

It is likely, seeing some threads of people who have analyzed the application, that the administrators, or whoever is behind it, will be able to know how many people are available in a particular location, and isolate that information in a kind of opsec.

[saagarjha]

Can't you spoof location data?

[iagovar]

I guess so, I didn't do the analysis, but I'm pretty sure the guys who did the app already thought about that possibility.

[jarfil]

It's transparency when the information is about protest planned for the next day or further in the future.

It's less clear cut when it becomes more of a "barrier has been breached on this street" along with "cops are moving to this other street" in realtime.

[banjodeluxe]

Yeah I agree that there's a chance that might be the case - might be outrageous misrepresentation, takedown to crackdown on the movement, etc.. But I personally decide to give the system a little trust at least at first and like to think that the Spanish authorities who ordered this will have real reasons to base their decision on - with time we'll see I guess.

[yeahforsureman]

With all respect, I guess you haven't been following the Catalonian affair that closely then. To me it unfortunately looks like enforcement of laws around this issue has long become politicized to the point of endangering the rule of law, fair and objective administration of justice and the protection of fundamental rights such as the freedom of speech and assembly.

[tumetab1]

Not sure what people opinions are when the judicial system has

> the movement Tsunami Democratic has been confirmed as a criminal organization driving people to commit terrorist attacks

So any material support to a criminal organization is criminal per se in most jurisdictions.

[enriquto]

the quoted sentence is false. The tsunami democratic has not been confirmed as a criminal organization.

[joking]

the app attemps to hide that, it's using geolocation to promote and comunicate only with a subset of the app users, police could infiltrate and gain access to some of the groups, but it will never get access to the full network, so the contrary of transparency.