14 DAY TRIAL // After the riots that took place earlier this year, law enforcement officials began relying more on Twitter and Facebook not only to make sure their can prevent violent protests, but also to point out false rumors that could cause panic among citizens.
“There has been a massive surge in the number of police officers tweeting,” said Dr Paul Reilly, media and communication lecturer at the University of Leicester, according to The Inquirer.
“Every territorial force now has a Twitter feed as part of steps being taken to use this tool to engage and provide accurate information and stop rumors circulating.”
It seems as 632 officers are already using Twitter, but Reilly claims that authorities should also consider creating a guide for the employees who rely on these techniques to make sure ludicrous stories are not taken as real by internauts.
“There were rumors on Twitter about fires and animals running in the streets and it's useful for police to be able to quell those rumors so as not to cause panic,” he added.
Social media blockage was highly debated after the riots stopped, since many believed that BlackBerry's messenger was the main communication channel used by protesters to send calls for violence.
At the time, eleven activist groups that fight for net neutrality urged the state not to consider shutting down social networks during riots since it interferes with internet privacy and freedom.
“We call for the UK government to seize this opportunity to reject censorship and surveillance that undermines people's rights to express themselves, organise or communicate freely. That is the only way to both enshrine the rights of citizens in the UK and to support these principles internationally,” wrote the letter addressed to the government.
It seems as authorities decided that it's better to go with the flow than try to swim against the current, but the results of their decision will be shown only after some serious incidents occur.