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NYPD investigating shooting threats made over Twitter

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  • Description

    Does social media site have the right to hide the user?

  • Duration 3:17
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You -- threats on Twitter and get -- -- it depends on how far they go late last night.

Twitter turned over tweets posted by an anonymous user.

Who was threatening to carry out -- -- style shooting Rampage at this Broadway theater in New York City.

Will this ruling opened the door for police to investigate anything that you say online.

I'm doing this morning by -- to be B he's a corporate and social media attorney nice to have -- had from -- to be here so just the back story is that somebody online was making threats that for the opening night of this big Broadway extravaganza they were gonna go in.

And caused some sort of shooting massacre in fact let's read some of the tweets that they posted.

Is this blank ain't no joke -- on serious people are gonna die like a war on that was the first -- here's the second.

Gosh I'm still making this hit list damn I wanna kill a lot of people here's the third one.

I have last minute plans and I'm in Florida right now but it'll happen I promise.

I'm just finishing up my hit list not surprisingly that scared the new York city police department enough.

Did today.

Took some action and so is it right fit to -- Twitter is now handing over personal information like that.

Well you know what in this case you have I think competing that.

Values and and in arguments in terms of whether or not Twitter should hand over the information are not on the one hand you have people saying that there should be.

Freedom of speech and privacy rights and that Twitter shouldn't be so quick to hand over the information.

Because that might create a sliding scale where the smallest threat or the smallest you know chance of some kind in -- kind of -- -- thing happening will cause them to turn over the information so they have to exhibit some level of judgment.

And Twitter does have policies in place.

For emergency situations like this in -- case Twitter says that.

If it's a case of danger to someone's life or serious injury they will turn over the information but that's a judgment call made by Twitter.

-- of course that makes sense in this particular case no one wants to see more bloodshed if you could stop it before and of course.

You had won a stop -- but the fear is that this will have a slippery slope affect -- and they suddenly they'll be more Big Brother style monitoring let me read you what the judge in the case said.

In deciding that whether or not these -- are protected by -- like you posted tweet just like if you screaming out the window.

There is no reasonable expectation of privacy there is no proprietary interest in your tweets which you -- now gifted to the world makes sense right you're putting it out there in public.

Why should be private.

That's right that's correct and at the same time there's also.

You know people out -- realize that in addition to having these rights or or wanting the rights of privacy and free speech there's also rules.

On web sites like Twitter there's termed the service and there's Twitter rules for example it says on Twitter you'll not threaten someone with something with you know.

Physical injury -- physical harm.

So people have to realize that you can't just go out and say anything and you won't be cup protected by the cloak of anonymity on the Internet.

Because if it rises to a level of danger.

That warrants police you don't.

Intervention and they will do so and -- will go to court and they'll eventually get the information by court order or subpoena and -- track the person down.

It's a good reminder that everything you put out their people do take seriously this is easy thanks much for coming in your expertise pleasure -- here.

A study -- report.

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