Bay Area to shut off cell service in case of 'emergency'?

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-- to shut down your cell phone in the event of an extreme -- The precise definition of extreme and -- possible free speech violations.

Are just two examples of -- city is controversial plan.

Correspondent Claudia Cohen takes a closer -- Last August of the bay area's subway system.

Bart got wind that demonstrators were massing on the train platform and would get further instructions via text message.

In an unprecedented move.

Mark decided to shut off cell phone service underground rewarding the plant protest and ignited a firestorm of controversy around the First Amendment.

Some even compared -- to regimes that try to quell social unrest by silencing electronic communications.

That you want dialogue after weeks of debate -- became the first transit agency in the country to adopt specific guidelines for jamming cell phone service.

Our cell phone policy.

-- set up for life safety.

And law enforcement purposes only that's the only time we will end up shutting down on the cell service.

A bomb that could be detonated by a cell phone a hostage situation in the threat of a train being stopped or damaged would all qualify as valid reasons.

And under this policy cell phone service would not have been turned off last August.

But free speech advocates aren't convinced this landmark policy will really protect anyone.

There's always going to be real true emergencies where.

May be part has to act.

But the problem is this policy is written -- to vaguely and could capture a lot of First Amendment protected speech.

Civil liberties groups have petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to clarify the rules and state that governments cannot shut off cell phone service to squash dissent.

A ruling could come in the next few weeks giving guidance to all public agencies on when it is and isn't okay to intentionally jam the lines.

In San Francisco Claudia Cowan Fox --

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Bay Area to shut off cell service in case of 'emergency'?

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