Political

Is it simply a question of politicians and pundits always trying to ban technologies they don’t use?

In amongst the many causes and contributing factors to this week’s riots, technology certainly takes its place. My Engine colleague Jon Akwue has accurately pointed out how it was Blackberry Messenger far more than the headline-favourite son Twitter which was involved, and the use of technology was by no means all for the bad – witness the Twitter-organised cleanup operations for example.

Yet from some commentators and MPs there were immediate demands to suspend, curtail or otherwise regulate social networks. This was echoed today by David Cameron who promised that the government will look into this very question.

However, the number of communication technologies in the firing line is far short of the number involved in the events. Rolling TV coverage gave the events wall-to-wall coverage. National newspapers took the story to mass audiences well beyond the reach of a news channel. Numerous rioters were spotted talking into their mobile phones.

Calls in response the riots to change the rules over newspapers, TV or voice phone calls have not been made. It is only the new technologies that face those demands.

Or is it simply a question of politicians and pundits always trying to ban technologies they don’t use?

2 responses to “Is it simply a question of politicians and pundits always trying to ban technologies they don’t use?”

  1. >Or is it simply a question of politicians and pundits always trying to ban technologies they don’t use?

    It's more complicated than that. Politicians and pundits are happy with using the technology to spread their message and foist their opinions on the world, but they don't think people who take a different opinion should be able to express it.

    They don't know if something is online whether it has only been read by the person writing it, half a dozen people or three million. They don't understand the technology and the internet frightens them.

    For example if a Lib Dem party member writes online about a Labour councillor and the terrible things they've done the party is behind this as it is improving the party's image as they are scrutinising another party (and possible rival).

    However criticism and controversy can also raise the profile of the person being criticised and be used as a marketing tactic.

    However if a Lib Dem party member were for example to criticise Nick Clegg or a Lib Dem councillor online, the local party may decide that we're not a party of freedom of speech for views people don't like. After all, this is a party run by its activists. The result would be the party member could do it but they would find themselves suspended for the party for 14 weeks for doing so.

    It's easy enough to come up with made up reasons to suspend a person from the party as the chances of getting sued for libel in a party that believes in freedom of speech are slim.

    This can also happen over party policy such as tuition fees. Party members can agree with the party policy but disagree with its policitians voting against party policy.

    The problem arises is when we criticise our own politicians the lines of accountability often mean that they're not willing to give reasons behind decisions but instead persue a "shoot the messenger" policy.

    However freedom of speech is part of democracy, if we make party members too afraid to talk about their own party online it allows people to get away with all sorts of things and has a chilling effect on freedom of speech for other party members and when specific minorities in the party are targetted it can be vitally important to hear a range of voices.

    On Liberty by John Stuart Mill went into detail about freedom of speech and as a party (and individual politicians) we support for example whistleblowing in the public sector even if it embarrasses people. Usually the whistleblower gets hounded out of their job, but the information is then there in the public domain.

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