Opposes Government social network shutdown threats

The Hacktivist Group Anonymous has issued a rather thinly veiled threat to the Government about its proposed plans to shut down social networking during times of social unrest.

Fresh from his holidays, UK Prime Minister David Cameron set about making himself look like a powerful and reassuring leader. He failed, and perhaps while scrabbling towards credibility he decided that perhaps the best thing to do would be to tackle social networking, since he thought that caused the riots and looting that have recently beset cities and towns all across the UK.

"Everyone watching these horrific actions will be stuck by how they were organised via social media. Free flow of information can be used for good. But it can also be used for ill," he said. "Police were facing a new circumstance where rioters were using the Blackberry Messenger service, a closed network, to organise riots."

Cameron continued, "We've got to examine that and work out how to get ahead of them." This kind of gittery is enough to raise the hackles of anyone with at least a passing interest in civil liberties, and not long after the hacktivist group Anonymous had something to say about it.

"I've got it! In times of social unrest, let's completely disconnect the internet. (yes, this is sarcasm)," said the Anonyops account, and, "UK prime minister David Cameron is calling for restrictions on internet usage (especially social networks). We're watching this situation", added the AnonymousIRC Twitter feed.

if we were David Cameron we'd take this concern seriously. But thankfully we are not him.