To tackle police state, press panic button to send out alert

In a bid to help pro-democracy campaigners, the US government is developing a cell phone with a 'panic button' that can wipe out its address book and send emergency alerts.

The new technology also includes a special application that can be activated if the smart phone is confiscated by security authorities. The US wants to equip the activists with the new tools to fight back the repressive governments and is targeting countries ranging from the Middle East to China, the media reported.

According to the report, the initiative is part of secretary of state Hillary Clinton's push to expand internet freedoms following the pro-democracy movements in Iran, Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere.

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have played a key role in fueling all those revolutions.

The protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square underscored how important cellphones were to modern grassroots political movements, said Posner.

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