Two persons were arrested and jailed four years each for inciting the recent UK riots which have left several buildings and vehicles damaged as well as numerous people dead. They apparently used the Social Media giant, Facebook to create posts for stirring an uprising in London about the killing of a young man by police.

It would be easy to condemn them and applaud the authorities for taking swift action, but even though they have certainly been guilty of creating chaos and causing large scale disruption and injuries because of their Facebook posts, the usage of Blackberry phones and Twitter to distribute false messages and thereby creating complete panic throughout the UK, must also be taken seriously.

Governments Want Control Over Social Media

Perhaps even more disturbing than the usage of Twitter, Facebook, and Blackberry as social media tools to create such uproar is the reaction by governments. The British Prime Minister David Cameron told the UK parliament that they may need to consider means for stopping the usage of social media tools by suspected perpetrators of violence and crime. Not only the UK government, but also the countries in the Middle East want more control over the usage of social media networks and tools.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have expressed concern about the power of social media and from October 2011, some tools available in Blackberry will be on the ban list in the UAE. The sending of messages and accessing the Internet with Blackberry will for instance be banned in the UAE.

What Makes Blackberry So Powerful As Social Media Tool?

Unlike Facebook and Twitter where messages can be public, the PIN associated with Blackberry ensures that messages stay private through encryption. This means that Big Brother cannot access private conversations amongst BBM users.

With Blackberry being cheaper than smart phones such as Android based handsets, more than 36% of the UK youth has Blackberry and thus access to completely private means of communication. It should not be a problem, but with Egypt brought to its knees through the usage of social media to stir protest action against the government, China already on the receiving end of the power of Facebook, and the Middle East fearful of losing control, one can appreciate the disruptive power of Blackberry. Governments want to have access to messages which can be used to stir the crowds into action, but with the encrypted Blackberry messages they can only speculate. There is no audit trail to follow unless the government authorities can get the PINs, but such would only be possible by court order.

Twitter, Facebook & Blackberry Become Social Media Scapegoats

To make Blackberry, Twitter, and Facebook the culprits is wrong. Although the social media tools encourage communication and are potentially dangerous weapons in the hands of terrorists, the applications have also been used to create awareness of legitimate causes. Although the Internet is filled with child pornography and has opened a whole new world of crime, it is also an essential tool for communication and information retrieval. The same applies for telephones. If one is to use telephones to create a stir, the governments will not be able to ban all phone calls. The postage system cannot be shut down if a terrorist organisation uses it to distribute letters calling for the overthrow of a government. In the same sense then, the social media network tools cannot be blamed or banned, and nor should the governments invade the privacy of the users.

Governments Use Social Media Such As Flickr

The UK government used Flickr to post photos of the people participating and stirring the London riots and did not consider privacy issues when they did so. One has to dig deeper. Governments are concerned with the power that social media gives to users. Instead of the governments being in control of the media and usage thereof to create the desired image and control over the masses, the people have realised that they have the power of communication. With such then, governments become more accountable to their citizens and it must be a scary thought.

Legitimate Concern Of Governments Regarding Power Of Blackberry, Facebook & Twitter

At the other end of the spectrum one must appreciate the concern regarding such tools and how easily Twitter became a tool for sending false messages and thus creating panic. Some form of control may be needed, but it does make a person uneasy to think that someone is viewing your messages and if they don’t like how you express yourself, you may land up in jail.

Facebook Exerts Control Over Some Sites

Facebook blocked a site earlier this year and came out to say that it was done by error. Some journalists and users don’t believe it since the site was blocked, unblocked upon investigation by a journalist and then blocked immediately after. Every user who tried to access the site received the same message of site blocked. In addition, all links to the site and any articles about the incident were also blocked. The site was about the June strike and promoted a peaceful action, but some speculate that Facebook was not too happy about such and thus not impartial. When it was used in the toppling of the Egyptian government, management was quite happy with the role of Facebook, but closer to home and their attitude may have changed. Users have expressed concern with the partiality displayed by the social media giant.

Is Social Media Too Powerful?

It begs the question of whether social media tools have become powerful communication tools or instruments of potential war. Another question raised by the London riots is whether Blackberry should open up its messages for investigation to ensure protection for governments and citizens. It does seem reasonable, but who determines the potential danger to the stability of a country? In some Middle Eastern countries even mentioning concern with fuel price hikes can land one in deep water and as such encrypted Blackberry messages protect freedom of speech.

If governments, such as the UK government, are allowed more control over social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Blackberry, the very next step may be government manipulation of emails, the Internet and then also landlines, wireless networks and not too long, and the whole world succumbs to dictatorship while the freedom of speech principle takes a backseat.