‘The government should focus on policing the situation & the underlying social causes of the unrest, rather than social media’
David Cameron is considering blocking social networks and messaging services such as Twitter and BBM to stop people communicating during riots or any future unrest.
The prime minister’s statement follows week-long riots in London and other UK cities. He suggests banning people from using social networks if they are thought to be plotting criminal activity.
Cameron said he is working with police to establish “whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality”.
Three people have been arrested so far on suspicion of using social media and messaging services to encourage rioting. More than 1,300 people have been arrested in total since the disorder began last Saturday – 888 in London.
A BBC report suggests that although the government and police have the power to shut down communication services, they have no plans to do it yet. The Home Office are reportedly against taking action, saying closing down networks would be disproportionate and potentially ineffective, penalising businesses and people that are not engaged in crime.
However, Cameron’s spokesman Steve Field said an investigation will go ahead before a decision is made.
The prime minister’s statement has angered some, with Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group saying: “If you try to stop people communicating, you create more of a problem. People are angry because their freedoms are threatened.”
Josh Banham, a 17-year-old student from London, said: “Hosni Mubarak monitored social networks and where did that get him. This isn’t 1984. The internet is a place designed for free media and to monitor that would be wrong, rioter or no rioter. Maybe if we’re going down this route we should stop every MP who was involved in the expenses scandal being allowed a credit card…”
Also a student in London, Sam Jones (18) added: “I think majority of people on twitter seemed to be rallying against the riots. Personally, and I’m sure along with many other people, was using it as a guide to what was happening and where in order to avoid any of the violence. There are so many pitfalls in any sort of monitoring and could be a slippery slope. We don’t want to end up as a nation that restricts use of internet etc.
“Ultimately though, I think it is fundamentally impractical and a bit of a waste of time to be honest. If you turn off BBM then people will text. No matter how much organising on social media there is, it shouldn’t be possible for these people to riot. The government should focus on policing the situation and the underlying social causes of the unrest, rather than social media.”
Meanwhile, Lola Olokodana, a 26-year-old client services and data executive, thinks: “It’s all so much noise, with the occasional useful or interesting voice audible above the racket. For every shopkeeper able to plan for an attack, were twenty untrue and unhelpful myths. Besides the problems of silencing people in a liberal democracy, we’re possibly giving this tool a little more credit and attention than it deserves!”