David Cameron said users of social media networks like Twitter could have their access to services blocked. Photo: Jonathan Hordle/Rex featuresThe Liberal Democrats to oppose David Cameron's proposals that people suspected of inciting violence during social unrest could be banned from social media network.
Tabled an amendment to the party's autumn Conference, that if voted through, would put pressure on the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, to withstand Cameron's plan.
Signs of increased tension between the coalition partners appeared acting police Metropolitan Commissioner Tim Godwin, told the Home Affairs Select Committee Tuesday that he had considered asking the authorities to turn off social media networks.
He said he had considered steps, because, although they were often a source of information that Web sites could also be misleading.
Details about Conference amendment came as Clegg tried to propose its own policy response to the unrest, with the different philosophies coalition parties begin to come into the foreground.
Tuesday morning, he announced a "riot payback" scheme to make the looters and arsonists are confronted with their victims, along with support to help EX-offenders to find jobs.
The scheme would mean looters performs community service in riot-hit neighborhoods.
They have to wear orange clothing to make them visible, and money is provided to enable the victims who want to do this is to confront the people who burned their homes or plundered their businesses last week.
The announcement put some of the policies, including checks on social media networks, the section object by Cameron in the wake of the riots.
Differences between the coalition partners surfaced over the weekend as senior Lib Dems urged to "kneejerk" reaction by politicians. The party's deputy leader, Simon Hughes, insisted long-term solutions lay in supporting communities by providing opportunities and redistributing wealth, not undermine assistance from the State.
In the past, Cameron has made positive and liberating effect social liberating media can be central to his vision of the "post-bureaucratic age".
Texts and BlackBerry Mobile Messenger was critical in planning the riots and, in last week's recall of Parliament, the Prime Minister said users of social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook and BlackBerry Messenger, could have their access to services blocked.
He said he had instructed the intelligence services and police to investigate whether it was "right and possible" to intercept them "to plot violence, disorder and crime".
On Monday welcomed the Chinese Government official news agency Xinhua, proposal, saying it marked an improvement from Cameron's comments in February.
He was then invited to Egypt and other North African Nations to allow freedom of expression after they attempted to restrict the use of social media.
Xinhua said: "for the benefit of the public, proper web monitoring is legitimate and necessary.
"We can ask why Western leaders, on the one hand, tend to indiscriminately accuse other Nations in the monitoring, but on the other, take for granted their steps to monitor and control internet".
Evan Harris, Vice-President of the Lib Dems ruling Federal Policy Committee, will propose an amendment at the party gathering.
By this spring conference was a vote on a Lib Dem amendment a u-turn on NHS policy as Clegg came under pressure in order to reflect the Lib Dem grassroots views.
The amendment, entitled "protection of the essential freedom of the Internet", calls for "additional guarantees for online freedom of expression be in place".
It reads: "oppose additional powers to the police or the Government to restrict access to the Internet or to social media or to order its suspension.
"[We must] makes it clear that the Government will not allow a two-tier internet, and will keep the principle of net neutrality, possibly through regulation."
The amendment is likely to get wide support. On Monday wrote backbencher Julian Huppert also against blocking any contemplation to close social network.
He said: "some people in this House and elsewhere has chosen to focus on the use of social media in these riots. And David Cameron has responded by announcing a revision designed to examine whether it would be right and possible to turn off social networks or services in the mobile phone during times of unrest.
"Even if we look at these riots in isolation – always a dangerous approach to policy formulation — the idea that we should prevent communication via these networks is obviously ridiculous.
"The brilliant response to the riots on Facebook, Twitter and the wider internet, embodied most clearly by site Riot Clean-Up, has arguably done more to bring communities together than anything else.
"There is little evidence to suggest this is a problem that needs to be tackled, and even the Government appears to give serious consideration to curb freedom of expression-message in a way that would make it much harder for the good things that have come from this unrest either to continue or to happen again.
"This authoritarian knee-jerkery is a reminder of the bad old days. Those who cherish freedom, of all parties and none, must now defend these important new forms of communication. "
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