Teenager Charged With BlackBerry Incitement In Connection With UK Riots

August 13, 2011 | By | 3 Comments

An eighteen year old from Essex was charged with using BBM to encourage others to take part in the riot. While one of the first, there’s also a Southampton man, aged 27, who was also charged for the same thing. What are the details?

In England, the BIS service is cheaper than texting and teenagers account for 37% of the market. The police already have the powers to access stored data and monitor social networks in real time under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. The eighteen year old and 27 year old were accused of intentionally encouraging or assisting in the commission of an offence under the Serious Crime Act 2007. BBM is a great social medium, and can be abused as well according to the events.

RIM had offered to help the police and investigations as much as they could. David Lammy the Labour MP of Tottenham, called for BBM to be shut down during the heat of the riots.

Whether RIM assisted with the investigation or the charged suspects had openly admitted to someone else isn’t known at this time, but BBM was part of the charge.

If RIM did assist the police with investigations and hand over the BBM records, how secure is that, and what about the freedom of speech? How do you feel about the incident? How do you feel about a social medium such as BBM being used to plan and encourage such random acts?

[via: The Telegraph]

Filed in: BlackBerry, Featured News, RIM | Tags: , , , , ,

  • http://kennethx.tumblr.com KeNNethX

    In the UK Freedom of speech is limited. Incitement is not protected:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech_by_country#United_Kingdom

  • http://seriousmobile.wordpress.com hardened

    I’m more concerned about the freedom of speech. Just how is the context of the BBM placed on both the 18 & 27yr olds charged for “inciting a criminal act”. Whatever happened to being CHARGED for your actions – actually committing a criminal act – versus talking about it and NOT doing it?!?

    Key point BOTH where charged for “using BBM to encourage others to take part in the riot”. They have NOT been reported for starting the RIOT or taking PART in the actual riot – so this should warrant an investigation NOT a charge. The Law is becoming so twisted to suit so many needs how relevant is it any longer?

    For David Lammy the Labour MP of Tottenham, called for BBM to be shut down during the heat of the riots; shows his arrogance. Did he really think shutting down a PUBLICLY PAID service would limit any communications that entice/incite more violence? There is SMS, MMS, and IM (MSN/AIM/Yahoo IM/ etc) out there. Oh yeah there is a simple form of communication … it’s called a voice (your human voice), you know the one you speak through your mouth. It works over a telephone too. Again a arrogant call that is genericly sweeping and affects OTHERS who need real-time communications during these riots with family members affected and trying to flee from these hot zones and rendezvous with one another.

    lets see what this transpires to.

  • Susan

    I completely agree. BBM is a means of communication, and one should be innocent until proven guilty. If we shut down communication modes in time of turmoil and chaos, then who’s to say what is really going on. I am all for the freedom of speech and modes of communication.

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