The government is to meet with Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry manufacturer RIM to discuss the role of technology in the recent riots -- and on the agenda is the possibility of banning troublemakers from using the companies' social-media services.
Big tipper David Cameron said in Parliament today that he wants to "give the police the technology to trace people on Twitter or BBM, or close it down".
The home secretary, Theresa May, will meet with social-media companies to discuss this week's horrifying scenes in London, Manchester and other cities around the country. The prime minister, who popped back from his holibobs to catch the tail-end of the riots, revealed the plans to Parliament today.
Parliament was recalled from its summer hols to discuss the recent riots, with Cameron stating there that "everyone watching these horrific actions will be struck by how they were organised via social media". It wasn't the first thing that struck us as we watched cars and shops being set ablaze, but whatever.
Cameron noted that the "free flow of information can be used for good -- but it can also be used for ill". Much like any tool, then, such as a hammer or an expenses form.
Cameron went on to say: "And, when people are using social media for violence, we need to stop them." Quite right -- stop the violence. "So we are working with the police, the intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality."
Banning convicted or suspected miscreants from the Web is nothing new. Suspected LulzSec hackers have been banned from the Internet as they await trial. But blocking or shutting down services and websites more generally, as was rumoured would happen during this week's unrest, is a whole other cup of cappuccino. Tottenham MP David Lammy called for BlackBerry Messenger, or BBM, one of the scapegoats for the disorder, to be turned off during the night.
Phone networks are required by law to provide access to communications relating to the commission of a crime, and BlackBerry manufacturer RIM has pledged to assist police.
Hampshire police made the first arrests of ne'er-do-wells suspected of using BBM to incite trouble, while arrests have been made in Lancashire and Essex over inflammatory messages on Facebook. We wonder if incitement to violence includes those who took to Twitter and Facebook to call for water cannons and even soldiers to be deployed against rioters.
In the wake of the horrific scenes on the streets, examples have abounded of positive uses of social media. Communities have rallied to clean up, help victims and catch those who brought fear to our towns, with websites and online campaigns, including RiotCleanup, Something Nice for Ashraf and the Catch a Looter blog.
We'll keep you posted as we learn more. In the meantime, do you think Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry are to blame for the rioters' actions? Should the government have the power to shut social-media sites down? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.
- Image created with Make Your Own David Cameron Poster
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Comments 48
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Anonymous 11 August, 2011 16:04
We managed without fb, twitter etc before so we can manage again, theyre not worth it. Was ok at first now the novelty has worn off. Get rid of em all.
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 16:26
I AGREE WE MANAGED WITH OUT THEM THERE NO NEED FOR THEM IF PPLS ARE THAT INTERESTED KEEPING IN CONTACT MSN HAVE BEEN BOUT FOR YEARS . NEVER HAD THIS PROB I SAY GET RID ALSO FACEBOOK IS NOT JUST FOR RIOTS IT ENCOURAGES PEDO'S FRAUDSTERS ETC IM A MASSIVE FAN OF FB AND GAMES ETC BUT PERFERED LIFE WITH OUT IT I WOULD SAY EITHER SHUT IT DOWN OR CHARGE THAT WAY U WILL STOP I MEAN CHARGE TO USE THE WHOLE THING U SOON SEE THEM LEAVE OR ANOTHER RIOT OVER FB SAD WHAT THIS WORLD IS COMING TO , HOPE THE CHOICE IS MADE BEST FOR THE PPL OF THIS WORLD
billfred 11 August, 2011 16:34
We also managed without motorcars, we COULD managed without them again. Would cut down on road deaths, cut CO2 emissions .... just no.
BTW, ALL SHOUTY LETRZ MAKES U LOOK STOOPID.
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 16:37
I totally agree with blocking all these so called Stupid social media sites. It was always clear but ''these riots'' have proved that social media sites are nothing but EVIL! And which mostly used by low class stupids idiots morons to keep in touch.
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 16:43
Take them of line think it would be for the best we can live without
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 16:54
Nothing will change.taking down these sites isnt going to help. they would find somthing else on the internet to do it over again
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 16:57
It is weakness rather than wickedness which renders men unfit to be trusted with unlimited power.
(John Adams, 2nd President of the USA)
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. (Benjamin Franklin)
I support the police. I think everyone should support them. They are our lads. However, there is a reason why we don't give the State too much power... We don't trust them! Otherwise every policeman would carry grenades and a rocket launcher. Then if you break the law, you die.
That's also why we have elections.
Security must be balanced with Freedom in an intelligent way.
What's the right balance? That's where a national debate needs to happen.
I don't want to live in a totalitarian State, but neither do i want anarchy.
Somewhere in the middle is Democracy
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 17:35
No, perhaps governments should consider punishing wrongdoers properly instead of the wimpy nonsense of court orders, community service etc. Get proper deterrents out there again. Put police **back on the beat**. Why should the law-abiding majority be punished by this power-crazed idiot from Eton??
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 17:45
Even banning people from internet access is a difficult thing. No broadband at home? Walk up to Starbucks or McDonald's with a laptop. Shuttering websites is even more misguided - if they didn't have BBM, they would have used SMS. Or WhatsApp. Or any other from a whole range of IM services.
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 17:45
Democracy is a little like religion; a nice idea to believe in.
There were organised riots long before social media appeared on the scene, there were organised riots long before IMs like MSN appeared on the scene, there were organised riots long before I had ever seen a computer (networked or otherwise).
Instead of trying to ban these kinds of tools in these situations, learn how to use them to your advantage - information is power, to be abused or used for good is up to the user.
I don't believe that Cameron was talking about banning these services, but banning known villains from using the services. Personally I wouldn't ban them, let them use the services, all of the activity is recorded, tracked, analysed. These social media services exist to collect information about you and your network, generate profiles, and then use that data for profit. Law enforcement agencies around the world are starting to adopt social media analytics. They can pinpoint key people in social networks and identify how threads of discussion jump from one group to another and then spread. All the information is there, it's even easier if you have already identified the "persons of interest". While identities can be hidden/warped in these services doesn't mean that there's no digital paper trail leading right back to a mobile phone, home PC, or Internet Cafe.
Let them use it. It's like having them walk down the middle of the street shouting they're "going to start a riot so they can steal stuff, who wants in".
Nick Hide 11 August, 2011 17:52
Oh for goodness sake.
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 18:32
...do you think he's just really really really REALLY hacked off that he had to cut his holiday short. And got back just as the riots finished?
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 18:47
im guessing we're all going to have to go back to good old bebo.
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 19:38
Taking down these sites? Yeah no that will be a direct voilation of peoples freedoms and why should the people who didn't riot or loot have to suffer and lose there freedoms because some chavs decided to go on a looting spree? Same old typical governments, why is everyone trying to control the internet? Why does every government worker in the US and UK feel so inclined to try and control the internet.
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 21:31
i don't think that they should shut down facebook twitter or bbm because of the
riots. i don't think it is fair on those who weren't involved in the riot like my self and i have to pay to use bbm it would of been a waste of my money. if they shut down these websites then it may cause more riots i think that they should just stop the people using facebook and twitter and bbm that where involved in these riots. to be quite honest it will not stop people from doing this as people could still get in contact with each other via text messaging or calling some one this would easily get around overall i think that this is a very bad idea
Anonymous 12 August, 2011 01:44
so you're going to delete facebook and make us all suffer because of people destroying the cities? get the army... stop them... don't delete it, deal with it. Get the police to learn how to use the internet, maybe just block the inbox... Just don't delete it all together. Because it wont be just us suffering it will be the rest of the world... It's not fair. Some people have family in other countries and probably will never see them, and by deleting facebook.... this will stop the communication between family.
These riots are extremely bad, But it probably wouldn't of gotten this bad if there had been more seriousness from the police.
Green 12 August, 2011 08:23
Yes, because nobody's ever rioted because of restrictions on their free speech, Mr. Cameron. This implies that the rioters aren't to blame, that somehow their actions were manipulated and spurred on by social media and not simply their own actions. You can't censor an idea, and certainly not the medium through which that idea was communicated; but even an idea cannot smash a window and fill your arms with merchandise.
I hate to make the clichéd Nineteen Eighty-Four reference, but here it seems rather apt.
Jono70 12 August, 2011 09:15
@ Anon, 11th August 17.45 - Couldn't agree more; on all your points.
enzo2704 12 August, 2011 11:16
If the goverment attempt to block these sites will that not make it worse as on the ground and in the cyber world with hacking groups like anonymous already planning to take down facebook (dono if they actually will but...) they may attempt to attack the goverment. i saw a blog here before where anonymous haked a blog on blackberrys website and threatend to crash there website if they did block the bbm network...
and will the goverment try to block the new messagin feature within the new IOS 5 update ? which i dont think apple will like too much
anonymous 12 August, 2011 13:27
Am I reading this right?
Free flow of information is something bad now?! "Inflamatory messages" are a crime?!
What is this? A totalitarian state?!
anonymous 12 August, 2011 13:32
I don't believe shutting these services to people will really be to effective; much as the shutting down of newzbin won't affect the amount of piracy drastically. Its simply not the case that people only communicate through Facebook, twitter and bbm (in particular as you need a blackberry). If you block these services for people then they'll use Skype or text messaging or msn or email or some other service. Also what stops people borrowing a mates phone who might not get involved.
Anonymous 12 August, 2011 14:53
This is a brilliant idea. Way more sensible than trying to find the causes of the 'riots' and fixing them.
Anonymous 12 August, 2011 16:58
Yes ban bbm, Facebook an twitter....Google+ for the win lol
Anonymous 12 August, 2011 23:41
block the news reports too aint to cleaver now pm haha he wouldnt now a riot if it hit him in the face what a waste of my time typing this lol
Anonymous 13 August, 2011 12:39
I TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH THE FOLK OUT THERE WHO SAY YOU SHOULD GET RID OF FB.
WHY SHOULD THE MAJORITY OF PEOLPLE LOSE OUT FOR THE SAKE OF A MINORITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE USING IT IN THE WRONG WAY!!!!
MAYBE THEY SHOULD COME UP WITH A WAY THAT WHEN FOLK JOIN THESE SITES THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE THE SAME INFORMATION AS SAY PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING A PASSPORT OR A DRIVER'S LICENSE!
MAYBE THIS IS ALL JUST ANOTHER CASE OF OUR BIG BROTHER GOVERNMENT TRYING TO CONTROL EVERYTHING IN OUR LIVES!!!!!!
THERE ARE BIGGER PROBLEMS FOR THEM TO BE WORRYING ABOUT!!!!!!!!
THE GOVERNMENT IS JUST PICKING THE EASY FIGHTS CAUSE THEY THINK THEY CAN WIN THEM!!
BETTER TO SORT OUT BRINGING OUR HERO'S BACK HOME INSTEAD OF SENDING THEM TO FIGHT WARS IN COUNTRIES WERE IT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM!!!
anonymous 13 August, 2011 14:05
lol dont worry lads.......maybe the USA state department will help you out there by sending USA tax payer funded "Internet in a suitcase" that they have developed to fight oppressive regimes.
U.S. Underwrites Internet Detour Around Censors
The Obama administration is leading a global effort to deploy “shadow†Internet and mobile phone systems that dissidents can use to undermine repressive governments that seek to silence them by censoring or shutting down telecommunications networks
The effort includes secretive projects to create independent cellphone networks inside foreign countries.
The hypocrisy makes me want to barf.
Anonymous 15 August, 2011 11:23
This whole riot was a set up by the government, they could have stopped this in a day or two AT MOST but the longer they let it play out the more media attention, the more people getting worried and more damage caused = better reason for people to agree with them on these new laws. Gov have wanted to control social network sites power for ages because then they can be the 'Big Brother' and have everyones life at arms reach. England is on the route to becoming a communist country like China.
anonymous 17 August, 2011 11:40
This cant be blocked as much of the traffic comes through USA, Europe...good luck trying to get them to shut it down
The tories hate technology as they didnt have it at eton and they are deliberately trying to run it down in uk schools - then see we didnt learn how to use it in school so we can start a riot on it.
idiots
Nick Hide 17 August, 2011 12:22
"England is on the route to becoming a communist country like China." That is the avowed aim of David Cameron's Conservative party, you're exactly right.
anonymous 12 September, 2011 15:54
Cameron is a prize prick, Ill be voting Labour back in next time, lol at all the noobs who voted these greedy bastards in
anonymous 17 September, 2011 13:56
No they dont have the right. Next thing you know we are all Chinese. If people are driven to riots, I certainly think that they will even without Twitter.
anonymous 17 September, 2011 17:36
why dont they just block us from living, they are 3/4 of the way there already.
Naryan 27 September, 2011 15:53
"We've done without them before"
Are you actually that f***ing stupid?
anonymous 29 September, 2011 10:09
Have you tried turning it off and then back on again, what does this even meen?
anonymous 9 October, 2011 21:06
To be honest, Mr Cameron speaks out of his rear. Shutting down Facebook will not stop riots, it will not stop the organization of riots, it will simply move to another form of communication. Riots were managed before without Facebook and they can be managed without Facebook in the future. Take for instance Dock Worker Riots of Cardiff<br />
<br />
<br />
All of those riots for the majority took place before the invention of facebook. How would one have organized them without Facebook. I hate facebook with a passion, if it were shut down, all for the better. After flagrantly disregarding my privacy and allowing unauthorized applications to gain access to my account I'd be one for shutting it down. On the other hand, it will not and could not have stopped the riots. <br />
<br />
Instead, they could have been monitored by Facebook employees or the police if need be for keywords. That being said, we are not China. We have a right to freedom of expression and a right to privacy. The political powers that be should not have control over public freedom of expression. It is a basic human right.
anonymous 14 October, 2011 11:43
i was horrified when the riots happened saw the thing from my home in clapham
anonymous 14 October, 2011 11:48
but i dont agree with these measures
anonymous 14 October, 2011 11:51
i did like tony blair better
anonymous 17 October, 2011 15:40
sensoring is not going to work
charlesharley 17 October, 2011 16:11
Blackberry's going down...
charlesharley 17 October, 2011 16:19
But something has to be done to stop the yobs and hoodies...
anonymous 17 October, 2011 16:21
I agree with the hoodie thing....
anonymous 17 October, 2011 16:22
This article is about blocking BB as a service not hooodies!
anonymous 18 October, 2011 16:41
Dear those above,
As a teenager not involved in the London Riots, like many others, it is ridiculous to punish all, for the action of the few. On behalf of my generation, I apologize, I would like to emphasize that we are not all granny-bashing, shop-smashing hoodies as the free media generally loves to make us out to be.
Plus, Lord Zuckerberg of Palo Alto might get slightly annoyed...
P.S THOSE THAT TALK IN CAPITALS AND ARE SURE YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT THEM... Go ahead, with your forum etiquette you don't deserve a computer, or social network account anyway
anonymous 20 October, 2011 14:52
Dear teenager,
Well said
anonymous 20 October, 2011 16:18
Yeah not all of us are bad
anonymous 30 October, 2011 23:34
Cameron is full of **** like most politicians. Now I'm worried about his competence to be prime minister after statements like that.
anonymous 28 November, 2011 22:47
This is an inexperienced back bencher who was never elected as primeminister and oppointed nice but dim chamceller and empolyment ministers.Does he have an opinioon after vowing eo cancel the still board Digital Media Act in 2010.
the not so bright miister think they can control digital media.However the market move too fast for government in this area who can't even hold onto laptops in the civil service!
i and thousands of other are not happ to be spyed on, by using other countries off shore isp's via fibre.
Don't put up with this weak government anylonger move you communications off shore......what a failure this government is.