UK To Shut Down Social Networks? 403
Stoobalou writes "In a move worthy of China's communist regime, UK PM David Cameron wants to shut down social networks whenever civil unrest rears its head in Britain's towns and cities. Speaking in the House of Commons, Cameron said, 'Everyone watching these horrific actions will be struck by how they were, organized via social media. Free flow of information can be used for good. But it can also be used for ill. So 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.'" So far I haven't heard anyone blame the Rock 'n Roll music, but if social networks aren't a good enough culprit, you could also try blaming video games.
that's not enough! (Score:5, Insightful)
Mr Cameron, the problem starts with the fact that those criminals can READ and WRITE. This is a risk we can no longer allow!
Please, for the sake of our lives, CLOSE ALL SCHOOLS IMMEDIATELY before they can release EVEN MORE CRIMINALS upon us!
Re:China? (Score:5, Insightful)
Worthy of China? Sure, but Egypt was the first time that came to mind while watching this disgraceful session live... that didn't work too well BTW.
What these so called "leaders" don't understand is the same social networks used to organize these actions are also being used by the public to warn each other about where these attacks are taking place, where to avoid and calling their friends & neighbors to arms to help them protect their families, homes and businesses.
hyperbole (Score:5, Insightful)
we are working... to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services
Article title:
Cameron threatens to shut down UK social networks
Ridiculous power grabs to what end?? (Score:4, Insightful)
What the fuck has happened to all the western governments and what do they think they'll be able to achieve with increasingly draconian police state style laws? It boggles the mind. What will the puppet masters do once they've finished stringing up the puppets. It's not as if they don't have all the power they need to do all sorts of nasty things as it is. Why do they keep pushing for more? It makes no sense. It'd be like Bill Gates with all his billions scheming to mug people on the way home from work to increase his wealth. Meanwhile they let the economy fail and public infrastructure, education and health crumble.Gated communities aren't much good to you if there's no one left to buy things from. Idiots.
And the goddamn tech-bashing? What the fuck? On the one hand money frittered away on Internet services no one needs (see Australia for a prime example) and on the other lock down the net with fucked up filters that make it useless and stifle the very freedoms that have made it a success. What have these people been smoking?
Jumping down a Rabitt hole (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:China? (Score:5, Insightful)
many others have said, there's a distinct difference between shutting down communication mediums to stop people fighting for freedom from an oppresive regime, and shutting down communcation mediums to stop people from organising looting and other self-serving crimes.
That's what the Chinese say too.. and Mr Mubarak, the Bahrain medievalists etc.. they all say something just like that before trying to suppress riots caused by their states systemic failings.
Re:hyperbole (Score:4, Insightful)
Indeed, blocking known troublemakers from posting Twitter updates about their latest theft isn't exactly the civil rights disaster that TFA appears to be trying to paint.
Re:China? (Score:5, Insightful)
I think they do understand it, it's just that the summary has, as is routine on Slashdot, taken the worst possible misinterpretation of what was said.
Reading the story about it on the BBC, and other comments surrounding it sounds like they're merely just considering what can be done about people who use such tools to organise trouble.
It doesn't sound like they're looking at making much of a stretch from where we are now - where, police can arrest someone, release them on bail, and ban them from using a computer as part of their bail conditions. Realistically, knowing politicians, it'll just be something as impotent as introducing ASBOs that ban computer usage for a fixed period or something silly like that.
Certainly I don't think it's clear that they're planning to just try blanket prevent access to sites like Facebook etc.
Of course it's possible I'm wrong, time will tell I guess. But far more often than not when Slashdot has jumped to the extreme interpretation of something related to British politics it's not actually turned out that way in practice.
Besides, that's one thing I really don't think they'd be able to get past their coalition partners, although I suppose they may not need to, it's the sort of thing Labour would probably back too I guess going on their past track record.
The organised cleanups were far more prominently featured as a benefit of social networking, and involved far more law abiding citizens than there were rioters during this whole debacle so people aren't going to let that be lost on the politicians.
Re:China? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:China? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:China? (Score:4, Insightful)
Yes the USA colored glasses also shows that "protect me from terrorists" is far more important than the pesky freedom thing that we claim to hold in the highest regard.
Every American that claims they love freedom bot does not loudly demand the PATRIOT act be repealed is a hypocrite.
Re:China? (Score:3, Insightful)
We'll just have to wait for Cameron to deploy the army and then go on air to rant for 4 hours straight vowing to "cleanse Tottenham house by house"
Evidently there are quite a few people living in democracies who are so full of self-hatred that they would vote your post "Insightful" rather than "Funny"
Re:China? (Score:5, Insightful)
More to the point, the problem here isn't social media, rather it is that the police feel its okay to shoot kids and the kids feel its okay to loot and riot. Both of which can occur just as well with or without social media.
Youtube has done a lot of good by bringing police abuses in many countries to the public attention. Video shows exactly what happened with no room for bias. Freedom of social networks and media in general is something we should defend.
Re:China? (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't know if it is the same in the UK but here it seems the PC media is doing their damnedest to cover up the fact it appears to be almost exclusively a black on white hate crime.
Here in the UK it is almost exclusively not a black on white hate crime (although there are some minority elements of that, and there have been white supremacist groups trying to turn it into that in order to inflame things). In predominantly black areas it's predominantly black people rioting, in predominantly white areas it's predominantly white people rioting, in mixed areas it has been a mix. It's mainly a Lord of the Flies type kids-left-to-their-own-devices-go-feral type crime, with a lot of added "W00t! Free stuff! Shiny!"
Re:China? (Score:4, Insightful)
Comparing raping to turning off social media temporarily for the good of society? Are the updates about your friend's cat that important to you?
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." There is no excuse to violating the right of freedom of speech and communication, no matter what the justification. If I can justify locking away people in internment camps for the good of society does that make it acceptable