Local Technology Expert Says Social Media May Be Countering UK Rioters
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - As British officials consider a clampdown on social media to prevent looting and rioting there (see related story), an expert here in Philadelphia says that may not be such a good idea.
Dr. Andrea Forte (below right), an assistant professor in Drexel University's College of Information Science and Technology, says it doesn't make sense to shut down Twitter and Facebook.
"It's naïve to think that taking away a technology will stop rioting, or any other crime," she tells KYW Newsradio.
One reason, she says, is that officials don't really know all the ways the technology is being used -- both by those committing crimes and those combating it.
"We don't know if people are using channels like Twitter to avoid places where trouble is currently happening. We don't know if law enforcement officials are using these channels to better understand what's happening out on the streets."
She says researchers here and around the world are trying to better understand social media so it's known who is using it, and why.
Reported by Lynne Adkins, KYW Newsradio 1060
