Over the weekend, news broke around government plans for increased surveillance of digital data. The idea is that, without a warrant, security agency GCHQ will be able to see the packet data of emails, phone calls, text messages and social media messages so that they can see who is communicating with who, when, and how often. Such an idea was implemented by the previous government, but scrapped back in 2009 after sustained pressure from the two parties that now make-up the Coalition.

The proposals have, unsurprisingly, received a huge backlash across the social media platforms that they seek to regulate. Furthermore, internet companies have privately expressed concerns about these plans, including the fear that repressive regimes could demand access to the data. Read More »

As the battle for London mayor heats up Labour’s Ken Livingstone has launched his latest ad advertising campaign across London and is crowd sourcing supporters to decide what his next campaign should be.

Supporters are being asked to vote on their preferred subject for the campaign (be it fares for policing) and suggest their own ad. The campaign says it will take the best one and use it. Read More »

We’ve had a few posts recently looking at the impact of social media on politics and about how it can significantly help boost the number of votes candidates receive during an election. There have also been some great examples of how it is being used in the US 2012 Presidential race with Obama’s team’s use of blogs and Republican White House hopefuls debating on Twitter.

So a timely look here at how our own politicans are doing. No surprise to see that of the 30,000 posts looked at Twitter was far out in front with 91% appearing on Twitter and only a small percentage on Facebook. It is increasingly becoming an additional chamber. Read More »

As executives from Facebook, Twitter Blackberry manufacturer, Research in Motion, today meet with Home Secretary Theresa May to discuss the riots in England can we be clear here and say clearly that the idea of switching off social networks in the event of riots or social unrest is a ridiculous non-starter. It should not be entertained in anyway shape or form. Could you imagine the government also suggesting a media blackout?

It shows more than anything that the government having been initially slow to respond as the riots started, flailing around for a national response, is out of touch. Read More »

Having beefed up its communications team Twitter is on the hunt for a PR agency and is said to be in talks with a mix of large and small agencies with offices in New York, Ad Age reports.

The move follows the appointment of Sean Garrett, Twitter’s VP of communications, who joined Twitter last year. He is overseeing the search. Read More »

Two men from the north of England have been jailed for inciting people to riot by using Facebook. Jordan Blackshaw (left), 20, and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22, were jailed for four years each.

They clearly deserved something. Blackshaw created an event on Facebook called ‘Smash Down Northwich Town’ while Sutcliffe-Keenan set up a page called ‘Warrington Riots’. Not exactly subtle.

It is the toughest sentence handed down so far after last week’s riots in London, the Midlands and parts of the north of England. It seems wildly disproportionate. While they were being jailed looters in Manchester were also jailed with three men for between 16 months and two years. Read More »

Speaking in the House of Commons today after parliament was recalled to discuss the English riots Prime Minister, David Cameron, used part of his speech to highlight the way that social media was used by rioters. He spoke about how the government would look into seeing if it would be right to stop them if they were using social media to incite violence.

He is taking his line apparently straight from the Sun and Daily Mail, which earlier this week blamed Twitter for fuelling London’s riots. It is a worrying sign. You can not regulate the internet or ban people from social networks. It is the wrong approach entirely. Read More »

Poor David Cameron. Here is getting the PR hit of his life with the state visit of Barack Obama, but that can’t stop a bit of Twitter fun as the President addresses both houses of Parliament.

Labour tweeters have highlighted the fact that Cameron backed Obama’s defeated Republican rival Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election and got #cameronbackedmccain trending in London. Read More »

Mentions of The Sunday Herald have understandably soared since it decided to partially identify a Premiership footballer alleged to have taken out a media injunction over an affair with former Big Brother contestant Imogen Thomas.

However, according to a Brandwatch search a sports blog called the Daily Sport Betting Blog revealed the identity of the player on April 14. Read More »

Labour’s digital comms team is coming underfire today for an online campaign that has put smiling pictures of David Cameron and Nick Clegg on its  website. Read More »