David Cameron - UK Prime Minister Proposes Social Media Ban for London Rioters

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I love "we are making technology work for us." This is a Big Government BS type comment with dangerous implications. Glad this is in the UK and not here, but it shouldn't be anywhere.

There's a right way, and a wrong way to go about things. It's why this London CCTV thing has bugged me since the implemented it. It's not the idea of "well if you're obeying the law you have nothing to hide..." mantra. It's the whole idea that your every move is being watched and at what point does your privacy get tossed out the window? It's almost as if London is the "test city" for the rest of the Western world. I honestly wonder if they could get by with it here.

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http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2390891,00.asp

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday that Scotland Yard and intelligence agencies are considering a ban on social media for those known to be plotting violence.

"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," Cameron said in a speech before the House of Commons.

He did not go into detail about how that might work or how potential offenders would be identified. "Free flow of information can be used for good. But it can also be used for ill," Cameron said. "And when people are using social media for violence we need to stop them."

In the wake of riots that have consumed London and other English cities, there were reports that some of the rioters had organized their efforts via BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). The platform is popular among British teens and allowed them to communicate in a free and untraceable manner. BlackBerry maker Research in Motion later said it would cooperate with officials should they need lawful access to data related to the riots, prompting hackers to deface the official BlackBerry blog.

Twitter, however, has also been a popular means of communication, with many people providing updates about the situation in their neighborhoods, organizing clean-up efforts, and more. According to data published by Experian Hitwise, one in every 170 U.K. Internet visits on Monday was to Twitter, with the Twitter homepage receiving 3.4 million visits in the U.K. alone.

Police, meanwhile, are making use of London's intricate surveillance system to identify suspected looters. Officials have set up a Flickr account on which they are posting screen grabs from those videos and asking people to turn in anyone they might know. Earlier today, officials posted video clips of suspects and potential witnesses in an attack that happened in the Ealing section of London.

Cameron dismissed the idea that the posting of such photos was a violation of peoples' privacy.

"We are making technology work for us, by capturing the images of the perpetrators on CCTV—so even if they haven’t yet been arrested, their faces are known and they will not escape the law," he said. "And as I said yesterday, no phoney human rights concerns about publishing photographs will get in the way of bringing these criminals to justice."

As of this morning, police had arrested 922 people in connection with violence, disorder and looting; 401 people have been charged.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Now Paul he didn't say that human rights are phoney. That's you playing the exaggeration game again.

[^_^ 5,021]

Paul even put the word phoney in quotes as if it was verbatim. Wow, the lying just gets more brazen.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

I love "we are making technology work for us." This is a Big Government BS type comment with dangerous implications. Glad this is in the UK and not here, but it shouldn't be anywhere.

There's a right way, and a wrong way to go about things. It's why this London CCTV thing has bugged me since the implemented it. It's not the idea of "well if you're obeying the law you have nothing to hide..." mantra. It's the whole idea that your every move is being watched and at what point does your privacy get tossed out the window? It's almost as if London is the "test city" for the rest of the Western world. I honestly wonder if they could get by with it here.

That's a fine example of Doublespeak, so how long have you been employed at the Ministry of Truth?

Edited August 11, 2011 by IR5FORMUMSIE

[mawilson 2,133]

I love "we are making technology work for us." This is a Big Government BS type comment with dangerous implications. Glad this is in the UK and not here, but it shouldn't be anywhere.

There's a right way, and a wrong way to go about things. It's why this London CCTV thing has bugged me since the implemented it. It's not the idea of "well if you're obeying the law you have nothing to hide..." mantra. It's the whole idea that your every move is being watched and at what point does your privacy get tossed out the window? It's almost as if London is the "test city" for the rest of the Western world. I honestly wonder if they could get by with it here.

I'm sure Michael Bloomberg is creaming his pants over the thought of having CCTV everywhere in NYC.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

I'm sure Michael Bloomberg is creaming his pants over the thought of having CCTV everywhere in NYC.

As opposed to the denizens of the subway system. :help:

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Big Sigh-

Topic title has been edited to correct the erroneous and misleading posted title and reflect the actual title of the article.

Paul, if you want to make a statement about a posted news article don't imply your comment is the actual title of the media report, especially when it is something that isn't in the article. That falls into the category of 'trolling' to instigate negative responses.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

USSK ??????????

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

USSK ??????????

No.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

nvm. pathetic biased admins aren't worth it.

Edited August 12, 2011 by DJ Kyo

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Paul, your topic title was biased, hyperbolic and somewhat dishonest. Why can't you just post the article as written without trying to twist it into a slanging match?