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RIM Helping UK Police Track Down Rioters

Posted by Soulskill on from the there's-an-app-for-that dept.

jfruhlinger writes "Protests against a police shooting in the poor London neighborhood of Tottenham escalated into rioting and looting this past weekend. Initial reports have it that the activity was coordinated not by Twitter or Facebook but by the relatively old-tech method of BlackBerry messaging. Now the official Twitter account of RIM's UK division has announced that it is 'engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can,' which presumably means that it's handing over messages sent by rioters. Is BlackBerry being a responsible part of British society, or is it overstepping its bounds?"

4 of 343 comments (clear)

  1. "Poor London Neighbourhood" by Kupfernigk · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Yeah, right. Richer than most of the UK. One view of what is going on (and favoured by this former North Londoner) is that the police shot a "professional criminal" and the criminal gangs of North London are retaliating by demonstrating their ability to get out the foot soldiers. This is an area popular with the BNP/EDL, a stronghold of the original National Front, the British Nazi equivalent. The subsequent riots were mainly in strongly BNP areas like Enfield.

    This looks like the Mob trying to intimidate the Government and the police because one of its capos got shot. If this is in fact the current line, RIM is obliged to co-operate. It is probably nothing whatsoever to do with poor people opposing Government cuts.

    --
    From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
  2. Wow. by LWATCDR · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I just love this! It was a tweet by RIM.
    This is all that it says.
    "We feel for those impacted by the riots in London. We have engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can."
    This can mean anything from providing extra coverage of the area so any police using blackberries get coverage or buying people free beagles?
    Wow what a jump to conclusions this has inspired.

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  3. Re:Definitely overstepping by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I would suggest you actually read that contract before you go making claims that RIM is changing it. From the BBSLA:

    (i) You and Your Authorised Users will cooperate with RIM and provide information requested by RIM to assist RIM in investigating or determining whether there has been a breach of this Agreement and provide RIM or a RIM appointed independent auditor with access to the premises and computers where the RIM Products, Services or Software are or have been used and any associated records. You hereby authorise RIM to cooperate with: (i) law enforcement authorities in the investigation of suspected criminal violations; (ii) third parties in investigating acts in violation of this Agreement; and (iii) system administrators at Internet service providers, networks or computing facilities in order to enforce this Agreement. Such cooperation may include RIM disclosing Your or Your Authorised Users' username, IP address, or other personal information.

  4. Re:There's a line by 0123456 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If a police officer was shot, that means somebody had a gun who shouldn't have. Given that Mark Duggan was the one who was shot, it would seem logical that he was the one doing the shooting in the first place. So why, precisely, do you have such a problem with any of the above?

    Because last night the British media were reporting that the bullet that hit the policeman was probably fired by the police?

    I doubt you'll find many people in the UK who believe the police story on any shooting after the Brazilian Electrician fiasco of a few years ago where pretty much every aspect of the initial police story turned out to be wrong.