Originally posted by Wikinews. Wikinews content appears under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license except where specified. As these articles are static snapshots of news items that may be later updated, they may not represent the latest or final revision of that article, and posted information may be only preliminary. Questions raised over Mosquito device ahead of New South Wales trial ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 23, 2013 Original URL: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Questions_raised_over_Mosquito_device_ahead_of_New_South_Wales_trial A device known as the Mosquito, set to be trialed in New South Wales (NSW), Australia by Rail Corp in a bid to deter vandals from areas frequently the target of , is attracting criticism. ''Wikinews'' reached out to several people about the trials. The units work by emitting a high-pitched buzz, similar to that of a mosquito, which is generally only audible to those under the age of about 24. The aim is to repel young people who become irritated by the noise, as a prevention method against graffiti, loitering, and other crimes like theft. The initiative was announced last month, but Rail Corp has not revealed when it intends to test the technology to crack down on graffiti. In an interview with ''Wikinews'', President of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties Cameron Murphy this week labeled the strategy "ridiculous". "All they're going to do is wear headphones and these [devices] will will make no difference at all." Thousands of units have been set up in the UK since they first became available about seven years ago, where they're used to stop youths gathering near public areas like shops and train stations. The technology has a high usage rate in the UK, and the Council of Europe has called for a ban on grounds it violates human rights, calling it "highly offensive". A Rail Corp spokesperson confirmed to ''Wikinews'' the devices would only be situated on railway land away from public areas. Mr Murphy maintains the NSW government's policy is "based upon discrimination" and it assumes the youth affected by the noise are those doing graffiti, without solid evidence to prove this. NSW Liberal MP Gareth Ward told ''Wikinews'', "very few crime fighting techniques are fool-proof," and as people have found ways to get around CCTV, they're like to do the same with this, which is why it's only being trialed at this stage. He acknowledged the devices will be situated in areas where the general public shouldn't be hanging around. "There are certain areas in the network where trains may not be travelling at a particular time and that's when those devices will be turned on [...] and I think that's perfectly reasonable." He remarked, "any young person who feels they've been aggrieved [...] should feel free to contact the Minster for Transport." A mobile phone message tone based on the same mosquito sound has been touted as teacher-proof because teens should be the only ones able to hear it if it goes off during class. == Sources == * http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jun/20/teenager-repellent-mosquito-banned-europe * http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/buzz-beats-graffiti-vandals/story-fni0cx4q-1226651709640 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5434687 .