By Chris Lee

Riots and looting that spread across some cities in England during August 2011 were aided in their effectiveness by social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and BlackBerry Messenger, according to many observers.

These self-same media were also beneficial to those seeking to understand in real time what was occurring in their area, although much was inevitably misinformation. The whole role of social media in the organisation of the UK riots has opened the debate on social media, its implications for law enforcement and, of course, how that evidence can be used in court. In Warrington, near Manchester, two youths were jailed for four years each for setting up a Facebook page which it is alleged incited people to start a riot that never materialised.

"Everyone watching these horrific actions will be struck by how they were organised via social media. Free flow of information can be used for good. But it can also be used for ill," said UK Prime Minister, David Cameron (as reported in the Guardian).

A force for good?

The same challenge faced the mayor of US city Cleveland, when its City Council passed a resolution criminalising the use of social networks to encourage others to commit crimes. Mayor Frank Jackson vetoed the bill, arguing that it was “unconstitutional” to, in effect, ban conversations.

For James Kirkham, managing director of digital strategy agency Holler, Twitter has once again proven that it is now the pre-eminent news source in the UK. But its role is more observational than participatory or inciting.

“Twitter is a red herring for those keen to understand the role of social media in all of this,” he told NMK. “For those partaking it plays far less of a role than those observing and curating. It has assumed a position as the unquestionable number one channel for observation, comment and the spreading of the news, but is yet to act as any sort of catalyst for the criminals hell bent on causing all the aggregation.”

As much as social media and the mobile Internet plays a role in the facilitation of unlawful activities, everyone should remember that the very same technology is available to the government when combating crime, Kirkham argued.

“Social media is inherently a public medium, and those without a true political agenda such as these are having too much fun to try and hide away their intentions or their hauls,” Kirkham concluded. “The real good to come out of social media already however is the fabulous initiative #riotcleanup which is exploding on Twitter. Like minded good natured souls keen to re-claim their streets and demonstrate a show of unity to the disgusting behaviour of [the UK riots] have already got together and explaining to people how they can clean up their own boroughs, where to meet, and how to go about it.  Active tweeters motivate members of their local communities and are encouraging each other to continue the clean up. People using social media to spread positivity and Twitter acting as a catalyst for a proactive reaction can only be a good thing and help mend some of the scars which have appeared in our cities overnight.”