Potential troublemakers might face social media ban

There’s no denying the impact or influence that social media currently has on the lives of billions of people all across the globe. Facts about a person that used to be kept private is now readily available and visible on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. People are updating their profiles with their interests and hobbies, while uploading photos to show their contacts and networks what they’re up to, who they’re dating, where they’re working, or what they’re doing. Users constantly post status updates to share their latest thoughts, feelings, and sentiments to their sometimes uninterested network.

A majority of British folks are already active on such sites, with over 57% of adults are already using either Facebook or Twitter. This is 14% higher than the figure that was recorded in 2010. The increased uptake of mobile Internet and broadband services was said to have helped contribute to the popularity of these sites.

However, people aren’t just using social networks as a means to just express themselves. Some individuals have taken to these sites to express their discontent and rage, if you will, calling on their networks and other users to join them in a movement or to begin a disturbance. In fact, a group of users were slapped with jail sentences for trying to do so in August.

In line with this, the police has been said to have conducted face-to-face meetings with representatives of Twitter, Facebook, and BlackBerry, as revealed by Home Secretary Theresa May. She revealed that users who are discovered to be using these sites to create trouble will be banned from accessing such sites and services.

May told MPs: “I did indeed meet with Twitter, Facebook and Blackberry and met them with representatives from Acpo (Association of Chief Police Officers) and the Metropolitan Police. We discussed a number of matters, both how the police can actively use social media networks, but also the companies looking at the terms and conditions they have and when they might be taking people off the network because they might be breaching those terms and conditions.”

May added: “Subsequent meetings have been held on a one-to-one basis between the police and the individual companies.”

A poll was actually conducted earlier as well by online security firm Unisys, asking participants whether or not they were in favour of blocking access to social networking sites during periods of unrest. It was reported that two-thirds of respondents were all for blocking the sites and for providing the government with access to data from the accounts of users who might be involved in instigating such movements.

Source – Yahoo News