Don't Shoot the (Instant) Messenger

Following last week's riots in the UK, Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to explore ways to halt the use of social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry Messenger if these were being used to plot "violence, disorder and criminality". All three have been implicated in rioters' ability to communicate since the violence began in London on August 6th. The British Government, along with its intelligence agencies MI5 and GCHQ, are in talks with mobile phone companies and Internet service providers about how they might prevent gang leaders from co-ordinating looting raids using social media. So is social networking technology really to blame for the UK riots? Ben Eltham, Melbourner-based writer, journalist & fellow at the Centre for Policy Development in Australia discusses Cameron's clampdown on social media, and if he really can rein in rioters by turning off Twitter, Facebook & BBM. Eltham says the riots were caused by a number if factors and to blame it simply on social media is "simplistic". Also he thinks implementating a social-media ban is fraught with technical difficulty -- short of putting in place some "draconian measures", it will be very difficult for the British government to control social networking technology. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.