UK may disrupt social networks during unrest - source

LONDON | Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:38pm IST

(Reuters) - Britain is considering ways to disrupt online social messaging and networks such as Blackberry Messenger and Twitter during civil unrest, a government source said on Thursday.

Police have said social networks were used by rioters to co-ordinate looting during four days of disorder across England this week.

"We know this was used ... the question is can you do something to disrupt that in a way that deals with these problems?" the source said.

"We are having conversations with intelligence services and the industry. We are not proposing anything yet."

(Reporting by Mohammed Abbas, Editing by Matt Falloon)

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