San Francisco bans parking app

24 June 2014 Last updated at 12:29

San Francisco has banned the use of apps which allow people to buy and sell public parking spaces.

Parking is a huge problem in the city and Rome-based start-up MonkeyParking thought it had come up with a solution.

The app lets users auction off public parking spaces that they are using and wait for the buyer to arrive before pulling out.

But the city says it is illegal to auction off public land and has threatened to fine anyone doing so.

San Francisco lawyer Dennis Herrera sent a cease-and-desist order to MonkeyParking and has also asked Apple to remove it from the app store for violating local law.

Private profit

The mobile peer-to-peer app describes itself as the first "which lets you make money every time that you are about to leave your on-street parking spot".

But according to a statement from Mr Herrera it "creates a predatory private market for public parking spaces that San Franciscans will not tolerate".

"We will not abide businesses that hold hostage on-street public parking spots for their own private profit."

He said that the company would be subject to fines of up to $2,500 (£1,470) per violation and it has been given until 11 July to stop operating in the city. Users of the app would also be subject to a $300 fine.

In response, MonkeyParking co-founder Roberto Zanetti said that the firm is talking to its lawyers about the letter.

"As a general principle we believe that a new company providing value to people should be regulated and not banned," he told the BBC.

"This applies also to companies like Airbnb, Uber and Lyft that are continuously facing difficulties while delivering something that makes users happy."

Uber, which offers private car hire via an app, has faced a backlash across Europe with taxi drivers angry that it does not face the same regulation as they do.

Two other parking apps which offer a similar service to MonkeyParking - Sweetch and ParkModo - have been warned they will receive similar letters.

Apps such as CARMAnation that allow people to rent private parking spaces are not affected by the ban.

"People are free to rent out their own private driveways and garage spaces should they choose to do so," said Mr Herrera.

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Google 'testing' domain name service

24 June 2014 Last updated at 02:40

Google has unveiled plans for its own domain name registration service.

The firm is "testing" a service that will allow consumers "to search, find, purchase and transfer" domain names for their business.

An increasing number of businesses are looking to set up their online presence, boosting demand for domain names.

Google's move comes just as GoDaddy filed papers to raise $100m (£59m) via a share sale.

GoDaddy is one of the world's biggest domain name registration firms.

"This puts them in direct competition with GoDaddy," said Keith Timimi, chairman of VML Qais, a digital marketing service agency.

According to its filing with the US authorities, GoDaddy had 57 million domains under management at the end of last year and generated revenues of $1.1bn.

Up sell?

Continue reading the main story

The logic is pretty obvious - they can up sell their existing services"

End Quote Keith Timimi VML Qais

Google is also one of world's most popular online search engines.

Mr Timimi said there have "always been rumours within the industry that Google was a domain name registrar". However, he said that Google had mostly used that service internally "to fight web spam and to help provide cleaner search results".

"Now it is leveraging that ability to offer this as a commercial service."

Google said it has tied up with four firms that specialise in building websites - Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and Shopify - to help businesses create one of their own.

The firm said it was also working at providing "hosting services from a range of providers, as well as domain management support" to customers.

Mr Timimi explained that Google's latest venture could also help it better market its other services such as AdWords to businesses keen on boosting their online presence.

"The logic is pretty obvious - they can up sell their existing services," said Mr Timimi.

But he cautioned: "With their dominance in search, this may get some to worry if Google would use that data to help promote their services more than others".

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France sparks .wine address row

23 June 2014 Last updated at 14:17 By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

France has expressed anger at the organisation responsible for assigning internet domains over the planned launch of .wine and .vin addresses.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) has been rolling out new custom web names.

But France said addresses like .wine would put trade agreements regarding the sale of region-specific products like champagne at risk.

French minister Axelle Lemaire said Icann needed to be more transparent.

She called for a new general assembly to be set up to govern domain names, with a "one country, one vote" system.

The US agreed earlier this year to relinquish ultimate control over Icann, which is based in California. Discussions are continuing as to what kind of body should replace it.

In a letter to Icann, quoted by the Financial Times, Ms Lemaire said: "The lack of adequate redress mechanisms and, above all, the lack of accountability demonstrate the need for significant reform of Icann even before the current debate on the global internet governance system comes to a conclusion."

A meeting of stakeholders involved in Icann is taking place in London this week. On the agenda will be the continued creation of the new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

In 2012, a whole host of new gTLDs was announced - widening the possibilities from the likes of .com and .net to include custom extensions such as .amazon, .nike and .bbc.

Many are concerned that the plethora of new domain names will make it much harder to protect brand names online.

Ahead of the meeting, Icann's president Fadi Chehade responded to France's concerns.

"Wine is serious," he said.

"We all like wine. There's no issue with the fact that wine is a serious matter, it's also a major industry for France and other parts of the world.

"I think that their concern about this gTLD is warranted. There are mechanisms at Icann to pursue - and they should continue pursuing them."

However, he hinted that France may not be satisfied with Icann's eventual decision on the matter.

Continue reading the main story

The registry policy is not completely set in stone"

End Quote Vicky Folens Icann Trade Mark Clearing House

"We all get frustrated sometimes when we don't get the conclusion that we want."

'Game the system'

There are strict rules regarding the labelling of wine, depending on where the grapes are grown.

Champagne, for instance, should be produced only in the French region of the same name. Similar drink produced in other parts of the world must be referred to as sparkling wine.

Ms Lemaire, France's digital affairs minister, expressed worry that new domain names could weaken that identity.

However, Icann insists that trademarked names are adequately protected.

It set up a brand database, known as the Trade Mark Clearing House (TMCH), in 2013.

Its intention was to help businesses register domain names for which they had the rights by giving them early access to sign up for relevant names.

"The biggest discussion wine companies and governments have is that these TLDs could open up the market and have companies register wine trademark names and sell them back to the wine companies in order to game the system," explained Vicky Folens, senior manager for the TMCH.

"However, all these wine industries have trademarks - so all of these marks can be protected by the Clearing House, which allows them to register their own trademarks in different gTLDs."

But if companies do not register - and pay - for their domain, it will in most cases be offered up for general sale.

She added that additional measures could potentially be introduced to further protect domains like .wine.

"The registry policy is not completely set in stone," she said.

'Excessive cost'

Icann has come under considerable criticism over its decision to open up the domain-name assigning process.

Critics said Icann was increasing the burden on companies seeking to protect their brand names by forcing them to pay money to register new related gTLDs.

More than 80 companies petitioned the US Department of Commerce, saying that the plans would cause "excessive cost and harm to brand owners".

Also, there were some clashes in the bidding process. For instance, .amazon was wanted by the online retailer - but others felt it should be reserved for content relating to the rainforest region.

The .app address attracted a total of 13 different applicants.

Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC

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Plan to tackle phone blackspots

21 June 2014 Last updated at 13:11

Mobile phone operators could be made to share their networks in rural areas of the UK where signals are weak under plans being considered by ministers.

Some parts of rural Britain have just one or two of the main mobile phone networks available, or none at all, leaving some people without any signal.

It is hoped so-called national roaming could be used to plug blackspots.

However, mobile phone companies say this would remove their incentive to build more masts to improve coverage.

New Culture Secretary Sajid Javid wants mobile phone companies to introduce national roaming which would allow customers to switch to an alternative network if their own was not available, as happens when they are abroad.

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which oversees telecommunications, said the government was already spending £150m in areas with no coverage and was looking at doing more.

'World-class coverage'

A mobile phone industry source told the BBC the government might be able to force the big operators to share their networks using existing legislation.

But the companies are likely to argue that national roaming will be a brake on their investment because there will not be an incentive to build new phone masts in remote areas if the service has to be shared.

They have also warned there would be costs involved in such a scheme which could result in higher charges for consumers.

Mobile operator Three insisted it was widening its coverage.

A spokesman said: "We've invested heavily to bring coverage to around 98% of the population.

"We support the principle of expanding coverage to address areas less well served and are in discussions with government about the most effective means to deliver that."

A DCMS spokesman said: "The government has made clear it wants to ensure the UK has world-class mobile phone coverage as part of our investment in infrastructure for the long-term economic plan.

"We are investing up to £150m to improve mobile coverage in areas where there is currently no coverage from any of the Mobile Network Operators.

"Of course we want to look at what more can be done in areas with poor coverage."

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Google Glass eyewear on sale in UK

23 June 2014 Last updated at 17:01 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Google has released Glass in the UK, making it the second country to get the Android-powered eyewear after the US.

The kit - which is still a prototype - costs £1,000 and is being targeted at developers, rather than consumers, who must be over 18 years old.

The BBC has learned that the US firm held talks with the Department for Transport ahead of the launch.

The DfT had previously raised concerns that the wearable tech could prove a distraction to drivers.

That is still the case, but a government spokesman revealed that the search firm was investigating ways to allow drivers to legally use Glass while on UK roads- possibly by restricting the information it displays mid-journey.

"Drivers must give their full attention to the road, which is why it has been illegal since the 1980s to view a screen whilst driving, unless that screen is displaying driving information," said the spokesman.

"There are no plans to change this and we have met with Google to discuss the implications of the current law for Google Glass.

"Google is anxious its products do not pose a road safety risk and is currently considering options to allow the technology to be used in accordance with the law."

A spokeswoman for Google confirmed the talks, adding that it urged buyers to use Glass safely.

A video released by the firm to mark the London launch does, however, show the kit being used by a cyclist to get directions and check his pace.

Other organisations, surveyed by the BBC, have raised separate concerns relating to Glass's ability to film video and take photographs:

• The Vue cinema chain said it would ask guests to remove the eyewear "as soon as the lights dim before a screening"
• Fitness First and Virgin Active both told the BBC that members could wear the kit in their gyms, but would be forbidden from using it to capture images
• Coffee chain Starbucks said it would "politely ask" customers not to film its staff, while Costa said those who used Glass "inappropriately" would be asked to leave, adding that its staff were barred from wearing the machine during working hours

Upgraded hardware

Google first announced Glass in April 2012.

It was initially limited to US-based developers, but was put on general release in the country in May, at a cost of $1,500 (£881).

The kit features a transparent display that creates the illusion of a 25in (63.5cm) screen floating about 8ft (2.4m) in front of the wearer's right eye, which can be used to display information from apps.

A built-in camera and microphone can record photos, video and sounds, while the machine can play back audio by sending vibrations through the wearer's skull using a bone conduction transducer, or via more traditional headphones.

Google pitches Glass as a hands-free, quick-to-use alternative to smartphones.

"We believe it's really to keep you engaged and present in the moment while having access to those things that are digitally available to you," Ivy Ross, head of the Glass division told the BBC.

She added that the eyewear had already gone through five hardware revisions and 12 software updates before its UK launch, and that Google planned further revisions before targeting Glass at consumers.

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WATCH: Ivy Ross, leader of the Google Glass project, explains its aims

Many expect that will be accompanied by a price cut.

"To some extent, Google is using the current price to manage take-up, so that the only people buying it have strong reasons to do so - for example building apps," said Ian Fogg from the IHS Technology consultancy.

"The cost of the components involved in the current model is about $152.

"Clearly there are other costs involved in bringing it to market, but Google could create a much more compelling price if it chooses to."

Glass guidelines

Many of the UK organisations surveyed by the BBC are taking a wait-and-see approach before deciding whether to introduce rules to govern use of the kit.

Ulster Hospital highlighted its no-photography rule, but added "it is obviously an area we will have to consider in the future".

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group- which runs six theatres in London - said it planned to "evaluate the implications of this new technology, especially with regard to the effect on the cast, creative team and members of the public", while the JD Wetherspoon chain of pubs said it planned to "discuss the matter in due course".

Other firms appeared more relaxed.

British Airways said its customers could wear Glass at any time on board its aircraft, as long as they put it in flight safety mode when necessary.

Tesco said it had already developed a concept Glass app that could be used in its stores.

And Waterstones added: "As a bookshop it is difficult to see how Google Glass eyewear could cause us or our customers any difficulty beyond, of course, some mild ridicule."

A spokeswoman for Google noted that Glass lights up when it captures images, and that its battery limits it to taking a maximum of 45 minutes of video at a time.

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China tops supercomputer chart again

23 June 2014 Last updated at 11:26

China has the world's most powerful supercomputer for the third time in a row as the country once again ups its presence in the global top 500.

Tianhe-2 was top of the twice-yearly list that keeps tabs on supercomputer development and growth.

Since the last list, China had 20% more supercomputers in the top 500, while US representation went down 15%.

However, the US still dominates the chart with 233 computers making the latest tally.

China had 76, up from 63 in the last count. This is almost as many as the UK (30), France (27) and Germany (23) combined.

The full list will be published on Monday at a conference in Leipzig, Germany.

Power

The top500 list is a widely-recognised barometer of the state of worldwide supercomputing. It has been published twice yearly since 1993.

All the computers are measured against the same criteria - a benchmark first devised in 1979 but since improved as computing has become ever more sophisticated.

Such is the immense power of the supercomputers, their computational ability is measured in petaflop/s - quadrillions of calculations per second.

The top performing computer, Tianhe-2, had its power measured at 33.86 petaflop/s (quadrillions of calculations per second). It has been just five years since IBM's Roadrunner became the first computer to break the 1 petaflop/s mark. That machine was shut down in 2013 due to excessive power consumption.

The entire top 500 list of supercomputers combined offered 274 petaflop/s.

Tianhe-2 is owned by the Chinese government and operated by the National University of Defence Technology. It is used as a "research and educational" tool.

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Google's Nest unveils kit tie-ups

24 June 2014 Last updated at 05:05 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Google's Nest division is to allow its "smart" thermostats and smoke alarms to communicate with third party products.

Initial tie-ups include letting Mercedes cars and Jawbone Up wristbands turn the heating on, and allowing Lifx's wi-fi connected light bulbs to flash red if smoke is detected.

Nest's co-founder Matt Rogers told the BBC that users would have control over which link-ups were allowed.

But one expert warned that hackers might try to exploit the facility.

"You don't want to get woken up at 04:00 by a smoke alarm because of malicious activity," said Dr Ian Brown, from the Oxford Internet Institute.

"Google in general are very good as internet security goes, but it will be very interesting to see how long it might be before the first vulnerabilities are found in these systems."

Although Nest is opening up its application program interfaces (APIs) - the code that controls how the different software programs interact - to "anybody" via its website, Mr Rogers said steps had been taken to restrict rogue developers.

"We still have the ability to deactivate their accounts and basically delete all their integrations," he said.

"We have also put a limit in the developer programme of how far they can get without actually having to go through some approval processes.

"They can go up to 1,000 users without having to talk to us... but over that they have to get formal approval and go through a testing process."

Connected home

Google bought Nest for $3.2bn (£1.8bn) earlier this year despite the fact it only had two relatively niche products on sale.

The search firm's chairman Eric Schmidt described the acquisition at the time as "an important bet" on intelligent devices for the home that were "infinitely more useable" than existing kit.

Others are also making early steps into what is being called the "internet of things":

• LG has released fridges and ovens that can be controlled by text messages
• Samsung allows its Smart Home air conditioners, fridges and washers to be controlled remotely by apps on its smartphones and smartwatches
• Apple has unveiled HomeKit - a suite of tools to allow devices running its forthcoming iOS 8 mobile operating system to control third party smart-home gadgets

Nest's devices can already be controlled by tablets and smartphones, but its latest move adds further options.

Mr Rogers said pre-arranged tie-ups meant Jawbone's Up wristband's motion sensor could now be used to detect when the owner wakes up in order to trigger the heating system.

He added that Chamberlain's new internet-connected garage door openers could then turn the Nest Learning Thermostat lower when the homeowner left for work.

And if they drove one of Mercedes Benz's new cars, he said, their vehicle would be able to turn the temperature back up again when it estimated they were 30 minutes away from returning.

In the case of the Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, Mr Rogers said the ability to make it cause Lifx's LED bulbs to flash red could serve as an alert if an owner was hearing impaired.

The initial line-up of firms linking their products to Nest's also includes Logitech, Whirlpool, the If This Then That (IFTTT) app, and Google itself.

Nest had previously promised not to force owners to share their data with Google, but they now have the option to do so.

"The way we think about building out this ecosystem is more than just about connectivity - it's about what are the things you use everyday, and how should they work together," added Mr Rogers.

Nest, however, was not yet ready to discuss how this strategy might apply to Dropcam's line-up of video, sound and window/door-motion sensors, which it is in the process of acquiring for $550m.

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Microsoft unveils Android phone

24 June 2014 Last updated at 10:38 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Microsoft has unveiled its first phone after completing its takeover of Nokia's handset division - and the device is powered by Android.

The operating system, developed by Google, is usually seen as a rival to Microsoft's own Windows Phone OS.

Microsoft said the Nokia X2 offered it a way to hook users into its cloud-based services, several of which come pre-installed as apps.

One expert said the alternative would have been leaving "money on the table".

"I still find it astounding that Microsoft is making Android phones, but there seems to be a steely determination to take a more open approach for the greater good of the whole company rather than just the Windows Phone platform," said Ben Wood, from the telecoms consultancy CCS Insight.

"If they don't do this, then someone else is going to get the business.

"I also think it's a reflection of the fact that Nokia's budget Asha line of feature phones was unable to compete with entry-level Android mobiles."

Microsoft completed its takeover of Nokia's handset division on 25 April at a cost of 5.4bn euros ($7.4bn; £4.4bn).

'App gap'

The X2 is the follow-up to the original X, launched in February before Nokia sold its mobile business.

The original model became the best-selling mobile in Pakistan and the third best-selling handset in India - according to market-research company GfK - as well as achieving strong sales in Russia, Kenya and Nigeria.

The new device features:

• a slightly bigger 4.3in (11cm) screen
• 1GB of RAM - double the amount of memory previously included
• a more powerful battery
• the addition of a front-facing camera for selfies

It will cost 99 euro ($135; £80) when released in July.

Microsoft's video chat app Skype, its Outlook email service and its OneDrive internet storage apps all come pre-loaded.

The firm is also promoting some of its other apps - including Bing Search, the Yammer business-focused social network and the OneNote idea jotting service - as optional free downloads for the device.

"The whole idea of bringing more people into Microsoft Cloud through these services is the very core of the strategy," Jussi Nevanlinna, vice-president of mobile phones product marketing at Microsoft, told the BBC.

"In fact we're ahead of other Android devices [in this respect].

"But I want to stress that Lumia remains our primary smartphone strategy and that Nokia X is a stepping stone to it."

Missing apps

The tile-based homescreen and ability to see apps displayed as a scrollable list on the X2 mirrors the Window Phone user interface, which might help encourage consumers to later make the leap to Microsoft's more expensive Lumia range.

However, Mr Wood said there was a risk that the users would instead switch to other Android models since Windows Phone still lags behind its rival in terms of the amount of third-party software it offers.

"That's the calculated risk that Microsoft is taking," he explained.

"The firm needs to rapidly close the app gap between the experience on an Android phone and the experience on a Windows Phone.

"But by going down this route it will at least inform Microsoft as to which apps it had better urgently get if it wants to secure people on the upgrade cycle."

Windows Phone now boasts over 250,000 apps including Instagram and Vine, which were high-profile absentees until November.

But several banking apps, games, video on-demand software, and apps used to control wearable fitness trackers - all available on Android - remain absent.

The Nokia X2 can run the bigger library of Android apps, but unless users hack the device they can only browse available software via the Nokia Store - which excludes some programs - rather than the more fully-stocked Google Play.

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Social media 'half of police tasks'

24 June 2014 Last updated at 11:47 By Keith Moore BBC Radio 4's Law in Action

Complaints originating from social media make up "at least half" of calls passed on to front-line officers, a senior officer has told the BBC.

Chief Constable Alex Marshall, head of the College of Policing, said the number of crimes arising from social media represented "a real problem".

He said it was a particular problem for officers who deal with low-level crimes.

About 6,000 officers were being trained to deal with online offences, he said.

He said the police and public were still trying to understand when online insults became a crime.

Mr Marshall told BBC Radio 4's Law in Action: "As people have moved their shopping online and their communications online, they've also moved their insults, their abuse and their threats online, so I see that it won't be long before pretty much every investigation that the police conduct will have an online element to it.

"It's a real problem for people working on the front line of policing, and they deal with this every day.

"So in a typical day where perhaps they deal with a dozen calls, they might expect that at least half of them, whether around antisocial behaviour or abuse or threats of assault may well relate to social media, Facebook, Twitter or other forms."

'There's a line'

A number of front-line police officers from different parts of the country spoken to by the BBC agreed with Mr Marshall's assertion that a significant amount of the calls they were asked to respond to were now related to social media, including death threats, bullying and harassment.

Det Con Roger Pegram, from Greater Manchester Police, said the way offences were committed had changed a lot since he joined the force 14 years ago.

"These are traditional offences," he said.

"You don't need to actually front someone up face-to-face in the street to threaten them.

"This can all be done from the comfort of your own home, a coffee shop with wi-fi, and these people can commit crime anywhere to anybody."

One officer, who did not wish to be named, said while there were serious complaints worthy of further investigation, many related incidents not considered crimes in the era before social media.

Continue reading the main story

You can listen to the full report on BBC Radio 4's Law in Action on Tuesday, 24 June at 16:00 and Thursday, 26 June at 20:00.

He said: "A lot of the time.. it's that whole attitude of, 'I don't know what to do, I'll call the police, they'll sort it out for me.'

"It should be a case of let's be sensible, let's not be friends with that person on Facebook, perhaps contact Facebook first or don't use Facebook. It's common-sense stuff."

Mr Marshall agreed that the police "couldn't possibly deal with every bit of nonsense and disagreement that occurs in social media".

"People throughout history have shouted abuse at each other and had disagreements and arguments and possibly said things that they regret later and the police have never investigated every disagreement between everyone," he said.

"So we have to be careful here that there's a line that needs to be drawn and if something is serious and it's a crime and someone is genuinely threatened or in the case of domestic abuse - maybe they're being coerced and treated deliberately in this way as a sort of punishment by a partner - that's a serious issue that we need to take on."

Public education required

Mr Marshall said a combination of police training, public education and enforcement by social media companies was required to combat the problem.

Although the director of public prosecutions's guidance was a "good starting point", Mr Marshall said, 6,000 officers were being trained over the next few months by the College of Policing - which sets all police standards in England and Wales - to make judgments about when a complaint identified a pattern of behaviour that required further investigation.

And while anecdotal evidence from officers indicates that dealing with complaints arising from social media now absorbed a significant amount of their time, it is not yet borne out in the figures.

Currently, online crimes are recorded under traditional headings such as harassment or threats to kill and not as a cybercrime, so each record is required to be read individually to ascertain if the crime originated on social media.

Mr Marshall said because of that, the force was missing out on information.

The College of Policing was currently carrying out research to quantify how many crimes actually originate on social media, he said, and was expecting the results in the next couple of months.

The Home Office said that it had introduced a voluntary "flag" this year that would enable forces to highlight online crime "to further improve our understanding of where crime occurs".

This is expected to become mandatory by 2015/16.

Hear the full report on Law in Action on Tuesday, 24 June at 16:00 and Thursday, 26 June at 20:00. You can listen again via the BBC Radio 4 website or by downloading the free Law in Action podcast.

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Iraqis use 'off grid' messaging app

24 June 2014 Last updated at 17:02

Iraqis have been turning to an app which allows group messages to be sent between phones, without the need for an internet connection, in an effort to circumnavigate government restrictions.

About 40,000 users downloaded Firechat last week, compared with 6,600 over the previous few months, the company says.

The internet has been blocked in some Iraqi provinces, as authorities seek to prevent militants from communicating.

Access to social media sites has also been severely restricted.

Firechat allows users to take part in group chats with between two and 10,000 people, without the need for an internet connection.

Using a technology known as "mesh networking", messages can be sent to people within the immediate vicinity, as long as they too have the app installed. However, discussions are not private, and can be seen by anyone in the area.

The software is available for both Android and iOS devices, and has a range of roughly 70m (230ft). However, if enough people use the app, messages can travel over far greater distances, hopping between intermediary devices in a chain-like effect.

The app was heavily used in Taiwan earlier this year, when protesting students intent on occupying the parliament were faced with the threat of internet restrictions and limited cell coverage.

Firechat does not have access to the content of the messages.

Government ban

Over the past couple of weeks, Iraqis attempting to visit social media sites have been greeted by a message saying the Ministry of Communications has barred access.

The government has also ordered the internet to be completely shut down in some provinces, where Isis militants are active.

The move was taken after Islamist insurgents used Twitter to post a graphic image of a beheaded man, and to spread propaganda messages.

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Richard Taylor explains how Firechat makes use of a mesh network

Firechat, which was launched three months ago by Californian firm Open Garden, says the app's popularity in Iraq is now second only to the US.

A spokesperson for the company said the number of users in Iraq might have been underestimated, as many were using virtual private networks (VPNs), which disguise activity, to access the app.

Psiphon, a system which allows users to circumvent internet censorship, told the BBC it had seen a "huge influx" in the numbers of those using its service in Iraq.

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