Citizen App Is Supposedly Paying New Yorkers To Livestream Crime Scenes
Image via Citizen
Previously, the Citizen app made headlines when it was found to have caused more problems than solved crime. Now, the controversial app is once again in the spotlight after reports that it would allegedly pay New Yorkers US$25 per hour to livestream crime scenes and public emergencies.
According to a story from the New York Post, the app aims to encourage more users to contribute such footage. However, given its history of mistakenly reported incidents, not many are too excited about the app’s new program.
In May, a Citizen livestream with over a million views “helped” to identify the wrong suspect, after founder Andrew Frame offered US$30,000 in reward money. Last month, the app alerted a neighborhood to “30 men armed with guns,” which turned out to be a regular family party.
While it’s unclear if there will be any measures taken to verify incidents before users can livestream them, a spokesperson for Citizen told the Post that it “has teams in place in some of the cities where the app is available to demonstrate how the platform works, and to model responsible broadcasting practices in situations where events are unfolding in real time.”
Will this incentive lead people to place themselves in dangerous situations just so they’ll get paid? Hopefully not.
[via New York Post, cover image via Citizen]
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