Maryland Cops to Live-Tweet Prostitution Sting

Cops in Maryland are planning to use new media as they tackle the world's oldest profession by live-tweeting a prostitution sting. "We won't tell you when or where, other than that it's somewhere in the county next week," reads a blog post from the Prince George's County Police Department, calling the tactic "progressive" and "unprecedented." The operation will target johns, not prostitutes, the department says. Names and pictures of those arrested will be added to the department's Twitter feed during the operation.

But while the department thinks it's being progressive, an Internet privacy expert says it is "barbaric punishment," the Wire finds. "I’m hoping that they will change their mind," she says. "It’s chilling and disgusting and they should really consider the damages to the victims." Critics of the department have already hijacked the event's #PGPDVice hashtag in much the same way that critics of police brutality subverted an NYPD Twitter campaign, reports the New York Daily News. (More Twitter stories.)