Datamation content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
International Business Times: Rioters in London and elsewhere appear to be using BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) to communicate and coordinate their activities. For example, one BBM encouraged “everyone from all sides of London” to target shops on Oxford street.
However, some observers say it’s not fair to blame the technology. “Certainly, it’s a lot easier for people to communicate with each other in real time via some of these services, but that’s a fact of life. They’re not good or evil in themselves, its the purposes for which people use them,” said Ian Maude, an analyst at Enders Analysis.
For its part BlackBerry maker RIM says it has “engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can.”
