The Dark Side of a Global Social Fabric

Interesting article in The Register referring to two Mexicans being arrested for spreading false information about children being kidnapped on Twitter. Preying on fear, uncertainty and doubt has never been easier.

It is important that the undeniable benefits of are global social fabric are preserved, while the risks are mitigated to the best extent possible. It is a by-product of a hyper-connected society that the Social Media Emergency Management (SMEM) community needs to be cognizant of.

This is especially true in dense urban environments where the effects of social amplification can be even more damaging. We are working on ways to leverage the amplification social media delivers while still being able to control the message, and by inference, the risk.