Voice of Objectivity: London Is Burning

Voice of Objectivity is an ongoing column meant to temper the tendency of the Techcited to run away with the most exciting or controversial ideas in technology’s near future. The opinions presented here do not necessarily represent the views of Techcitement or this writer. Someone’s got to keep a cool head around here. I guess I’ll just have to pretend it’s me.

The last week has brought a series of astonishing events to the streets of London. Looting, burning, at least five people are dead, thousands are in jail, and there has been over $350 million in property damage. It’s not the kind of scene you see every day, especially in a modern western democracy like the United Kingdom.

British authorities are starting to look for the culprits that orchestrated this widespread violence and have found a surprising culprit: Blackberry Messenger. While they are fading fast in the U.S., RIM’s Blackberry smartphones are still popular among young people in England. The popular BBM service has been one of RIM’s strongest marketing tools. Now, it’s found a new niche. BBM makes group chats simple, which means coordinating groups, even fairly large ones, can happen quickly, easily, and on the go. What’s more, unlike social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, BBM is encrypted. Combine the two and you have an ideal tool for incitement to riot with total anonymity.

Fortunately, British authorities have caught on to the challenge they’re facing and are looking to try some innovative solutions. RIM’s policy is to follow the laws of whatever country their devices are operated in. David Lammy, Member of Parliament for Tottenham, where the riots began, has called for the suspension of the BBM service in the name of preventing further coordinated violence. Prime Minister David Cameron has gone so far as to propose that people suspected of planning to riot be blocked from social networks entirely.

Both statements have received a flurry of criticism from both civil libertarians and the hacker group Anonymous. While there are concerns over privacy rights of people who used the encrypted Blackberry service, those concerns pale in comparison to the destruction being caused by the ongoing violence. By closing off access to these services, the authorities can prevent the mass coordination that has made these riots so uncontrollable. And this can be done without reading a single private message.

When the barbarians come to society’s gate, we face a difficult choice to keep them out. No matter the circumstances, we pay a price to make sure we can keep our businesses open and our homes safe. Giving up instant messaging for a few days is a cost well worth paying.

For a look at where my personal views lie, take a look at my companion column, Voice of Subjectivity.