Twitter agrees to meet with UK government about recent riots

Microblogging company Twitter will meet with UK officials to discuss the role its service played in the recent riots experienced in London and other parts of the country, reports The Next Web.

Over 3,000 offenses — totaling more than $150,000 in damages — were committed during the riots in early August, according to the latest figures from the Metropolitan Police Service. Twitter, Facebook and Research In Motion’s BlackBerry Messenger have been cited by several government officials as exacerbating the behaviors of those who participated in the riots.

The news comes after British Prime Minister David Cameron suggested cutting off access to social media because the “free flow of information” can be problematic.

Twitter will send a representative to the meeting scheduled for August 25. Both Facebook and RIM will also send representatives to the meeting in regards to their effects on the riots.

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Tags: censorship, riots

Companies: Facebook, Research in Motion, Twitter

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