Mumbai & Twitter: use by the attackers?

[davidbfpo]

This academic study was published in March 2011, with the title 'Information control and terrorism: Tracking the Mumbai terrorist attack through twitter' and was discovered via Twitter today!

The study is behind a paywall:http://link.springer.com/article/10....796-010-9275-8

So here is the blog comment, first the author's bio:

Patrick Meier (PhD) is an internationally recognized thought leader on the application of new technologies for crisis early warning, humanitarian response and resilience.

It starts with, my emphasis:

Those who are still sceptical about the value of Twitter for real-time situational awareness during a crisis ought to ask why terrorists likely think otherwise. In 2008, terrorists carried out multiple attacks on Mumbai in what many refer to as the worst terrorist incident in Indian history. This study, summarized below, explains how the terrorists in question could have used social media for coordination and decision-making purposes.

The study concluded, in part:

...we conclude that the Mumbai Twitter page indirectly contributed to enhancing the situational awareness level of Mumbai terrorists, although we cannot exclude the possibility of its direct contribution as well....Because terrorists’ political goals function as interpretative filters to process situational information, understanding of adversaries’ political goals may reduce costs for security operation teams to monitor and decide which tweets need to be controlled.

Link:http://irevolution.net/2013/02/14/te...-used-twitter/

Ah, controlling tweets - now there is a dilemma. I do not understand the technology, but know a tweet can be withdrawn and the system can hinder activity. One wonders if anyone has thought through an operating protocol. Plus I assume Twitter is not the only provider.

[Red Rat]

Social Media is becoming a significant factor in real time situational awareness:

Ushahidi is a good example of the potential and Google is experimenting with the same concept.

The ability to monitor near real time social media feeds for content is also spreading, again looking at Kenya: Umati

[davidbfpo]

From an observer of the social media scene, with my emphasis:

The use of Social Media for Situational Awareness is a real issue and here is some evidence to back up what was suspected. I think the authorities are somewhat slow in thinking about the implications of this. I am just starting to see some interest from the commercial risk management sector but there needs to be much more momentum here. We are clearly somewhat behind the bad guys.

[AdamG]

Yoo hoo. See also
http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...9&postcount=46