Twitter chief: We will protect our users from Government

[DJ Stashman]

Speaking at the annual Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Costolo referred specifically to the UK riots when talking about the need to ensure Twitter remains a platform upon which freedom of speech is prioritised , even during times of civil unrest.

“One of our core values is respect and the need to defend the user’s voice,” he explained. “In the case of the London riots…the majority of the tweets were more about organising cleans ups [rather than inciting violence].”

It was thought that after a number of executives from Twitter, Facebook and Blackberry were summoned to a meeting with Theresa May, the Home Secretary, after their services were used to coordinate and encourage looting during the UK riots, the Government would try to temporarily suspend the digital networks.

However, Costolo revealed that instead of engaging in shut down talks in such meetings, it told government officials that the “hope” is the majority of tweets around a hot topic such as the riots, will be geared at trying to help matters, rather than incite more violence.

He reiterated that a free speech was a core tenet of Twitter, citing the motto of the company’s General Counsel: “We are the free speech wing of the free speech party.”

Last week Joanna Shields, vice president of Facebook Europe, ruled out the possibility of the Government ever being able to shut down the world’s largest social network.

She said at a digital conference, in response to being asked whether Cameron would shut down Facebook: “I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.”

Shields refused to be drawn on whether Governments should have the right to close down or control digital networks when they are being used for criminal purposes. However, she did say that Facebook’s relationship with the UK Government was “very strong” and that if people were causing trouble and publicizing it via their Facebook page, “they were probably going to get caught” anyway.

Costolo said that Twitter would also always try and warn any users it received Government requests about so that the tweeters had a chance to fight such an order.

However, he said these government orders for user information were “troubling” and tough to handle, as one of the conditions is that the request remains secret.

Costolo cited a recent case where the US Government ordered Twitter to disclose the IP addresses and user information about four accounts linked to the Wikileaks affair.

“We went back of our own accord and argued for the right to let those four people know that their information was being requested so that they could fight it,” he explained.

“We provided these users with the ability to fight this request and I think a bunch of them are still doing so…That’s how we will behave in those cases where we can.”

During the riots, Cameron said the Government was “working with the police, the intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services”. Tim Godwin, the acting commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, told MPs that police had considered trying to take such action at the height of the disturbances, but found the “legality of that is very questionable”.

Last week William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, spoke out against censoring Facebook or Twitter – despite Cameron’s and the police’s interest in exploring the merits of controlling social networks during times of civil unrest

In an exchange on Twitter, Hague tweeted: "No I don't think we should censor #Facebook & social media.” He said he supported the “freedom of expression on the internet, just not crime”.

Separately Costolo announced that Twitter now has 100 million monthly active users and nearly 250 million tweets are now posted a day. The company is now valued at around $8 billion and has raised $800 million in funding.

The company has also deeply integrated with iOS 5, Apple’s new operating system and seen sign-ups via devices with the new system triple since the recent launch of the iOS update.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/8833526/Twitter-chief-We-will-protect-our-users-from-Government.html