In wake of London riots, UK considers social media bans
By Chris Hogg
Critics and hacker groups are lashing out at the UK government and at BlackBerry maker RIM after British Prime Minister David Cameron suggested the UK could block social media services and get user data from mobile phones to shut down further riots.
The UK government is debating whether it should shut down social media websites in order to stop further riots from taking place.
In his opening statement during a Commons debate on Thursday, Cameron told parliament the government is looking at banning individuals from using sites like Twitter and Facebook if they are believed to be plotting criminal activity.
“The prime minister did not go into specifics about how such a block could work, what evidence would be needed to trigger it, and whether it would apply only to individuals or could see networks shut down entirely — instead saying only that the government was looking at the issue,” Metro reports.
Cameron recalled MPs from summer recess to address the increasing violence and riots happening throughout London.
According to the Guardian, Cameron also said the government will hold meetings with Facebook, Twitter and Research In Motion (RIM), makers of the BlackBerry, to discuss “their responsibilities” in this area.
As the BBC reports, under UK law, police are legally allowed to request data from someone’s mobile phone if the information relates to criminal activity.
“Everyone watching these horrific actions will be stuck by how they were organised via social media,” Cameron told Parliament. “The free flow of information can be used for good, but it can also be used for ill.
“So we are working with the police, intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality.”
Cameron has also told broadcasters such as the BBC and Sky News they should turn-in unused footage to help police. That request has been met with opposition from broadcasters who say handing over unused footage would damage their editorial independence.
While the UK government continues to put the blame on social media websites for playing a role in the riots, Metro reports evidence has yet to show Facebook or Twitter played a significant role.
That said, technology has played a part; the uprising in the UK has been dubbed the “BlackBerry riots” by media because several reports indicate people are using the BlackBerry’s instant messaging features to plan and organize riots and looting.
Earlier this week Labour MP for Tottenham, David Lammy, went as far as asking RIM to shut down its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service on Twitter. “Immediate action needed,” he Tweeted. “[Londoners] cannot have another evening like last night tonight. BBM clearly helping rioters outfox police. Suspend it.”
RIM raised eyebrows when it confirmed via Twitter it was indeed helping police. “We feel for those impacted by the riots in London,” the Tweet reads. “We have engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can.”
RIM’s move to help police has caused outrage among hackers and a BlackBerry blog was hacked in response.
The hack was sent as a warning by a group calling itself “Team Poison.” As Computer Weekly reports Team Poison has threatened to publish personal data of RIM employees if the company cooperates with police by handing over user data.
“Team Poison said it did not condone innocent people or small businesses being attacked in the riots, but said it supported attacks on police and government,” Computer Weekly reports. “The hacker group said it was opposed to Blackberry giving user information to police because it could lead to the wrong people being targeted.”
Meanwhile, Cameron says the government continues to use social media and technology to its advantage, publishing photos of people accused of looting online. “No phoney human rights concerns about publishing photographs will get in the way of bringing these criminals to justice,” Cameron said.
Jim Killock, executive director of online advocacy organisation Open Rights Group, told the Guardian Cameron’s requests attack free speech.
“Events like the recent riots are frequently used to attack civil liberties,” he said. “Policing should be targeted at actual offenders, with the proper protection of the courts. How do people ‘know’ when someone is planning to riot? Who makes that judgment? The only realistic answer is the courts must judge. If court procedures are not used, then we will quickly see abuses by private companies and police. Companies like RIM must insist on court processes. Citizens also have the right to secure communications. Business, politics and free speech relies on security and privacy.”
‘Twitter for Newsrooms’ becomes official resource guide for journalists
By Chris Hogg
Twitter today introduced a new portal for journalists called Twitter for Newsrooms. The resource is similar to Facebook for Journalists, in that it offers best-practice advice and tips on how reporters can use the social media outlet in their day-to-day job.
The information portal offers a number of sections relating to various journalistic tasks: reporting, engaging, publishing and a section called “extra.”
- Under the reporting section, journalists learn about using search to its fullest potential. You can learn about in-depth advanced searching techniques and finding sources; Tweetdeck and Twitter for Mac; mobile tips; and how to use Topsy to find older tweets.
- Under the engage section, users can learn how to use Twitter to connect with audiences, share news and build community. This section includes case studies, tips on how to brand your Twitter presence and a glossary.
- In the Publish section, journalists are given tips on everything from a toolkit called Web Intents, to a WordPress plugin for Twitter, to official display guidelines on using tweets in media, and an image gallery of Twitter logos.
- Finally, in the Extra section, Twitter provides links to blogs, support/help items, DMCA issues and Twitter in other languages.
While a lot of these tips may be familiar to Twitter veterans, Twitter for Newsrooms offers a wealth of information for journalists who are just starting out on the social platform.
What do you think about Twitter for Newsrooms?
Study: Retweets happen most often at 4 p.m., weekend mornings
If you want your tweets to get noticed, update your Twitter feed at 4 p.m. and on weekends, a new study revealed. Dan Zarrella, a social media researcher, unveiled his findings in a report he calls The Science of Timing (above). In his three-year study, he found retweet activity to be highest at 4 p.m., although anytime between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. will generate more retweets than during other time periods.
Weekend mornings are also prime times to tweet, because “users have more time and attention to devote to content on the weekend, even if the content isn’t fresh, and fewer distractions compete for attention,” Nieman Labs quotes Zarrella saying.
The researcher created a simple online tool called TweetWhen to display the most popular days and times for a feed’s most retweets per tweet. (We tested the tool – @futureofmedia gets the most retweets on Tuesdays at 5 p.m.).
Zarrella also advises retweeting the same tweet more than once, mentioning how your followers won’t likely see the same tweet twice, especially if they follow hundreds or thousands of feeds.
He touched on how to best implement Facebook in your social media strategy. His study found engagement with Facebook links during the weekday is quite minimal, likely due to many workplaces blocking Facebook during the week. Weekends are ideal time to post content on Facebook, since people often check their accounts on Saturdays and Sundays. Nieman Labs adds, “Postings on Facebook also tend to ‘stick around’ longer, re-emerging when people post a comment or like.”
How often should you tweet? It depends on your intention and your outlet. Zarrella says accounts that push out two or more links an hour show a “dramatically lower clickthrough rate than those who share no more than one.”
Survey: People spend more time using social media than email
By David Silverberg
Web users around the world are spending slightly more time on social media sites compared to email, a new survey from TNS Digital Life found.
In September 2010, surfers spent 4.6 hours a week on social sites and chalked up 4.4 hours on email, eMarketer reports. Other online activities respondents said they did weekly included surfing the Web for “Interest” and “Knowledge” and “News.”
According to the survey, email isn’t going away anytime soon. ”Users are still significantly more likely to send and receive email messages on a daily basis than they are to do any other activity,” eMarketer wrote.
Three-quarters of survey respondents check their inbox every day compared to less than half who go to social media sites with the same frequency.
The TNS survey also provided [PDF] insight into social media usage. Respondents were asked what social media activity they wanted to use more, and 42 percent said they wanted to stream more music and video. The least popular activities to pursue included microblogging and responding to blogs.
eMarketer says more than 61 percent of frequent Internet users globally having a profile on a social network.
TNS says the study is the result of analyzing data from 46 countries in September 2010. A total of 48,804 people aged 16 to 60 years old were interviewed.
Video spoof sheds light on journalism’s obsession with social media
By Chris Hogg
If you were to sit in on a meeting with the digital media team of any news organization, you’d hear discussion about Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, YouTube and just about every other hot tech start-up that is playing a role in redefining the media landscape.
While the benefits of using social media are obvious, there comes a point where we have to ask: How much is too much? How much should a news organization rely on social media in its newsgathering-process, and how much should the “old-school” methods be utilized to gather info? The answer depends on the news organization, but KDFW has produced a spoof video (below) that is going viral. The video pokes fun at social media obsession in newsgathering.
Posted to its Facebook page on Monday, the video pokes fun at every social media tool and journalism’s increasing obsession with each. Some of the video highlights include a reporter who doesn’t say a word on TV, instead choosing to share news by sending tweets from his mobile phone; it showcases a reporter taking a picture with a corpse so she can post it to her Facebook page; and a reporter who checks-in on FourSquare to get coupons while reporting on-scene.
According to the Dallas Observer, the video looks to have debuted at the Lone Star Emmys. Here it is:
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This blog post is part of the Future of Media‘s ongoing coverage and examination of what’s happening in the media around the world. If you have a story idea, please contact us. This blog post was originally posted on chrishogg.me.