Twitter is prepared to give users details away

MICRO-BLOGGING WEB SITE Twitter has warned that it might have to release the details of its users who break UK privacy injunctions.

Tony Wang, general manager of Twitter UK has warned at the eG8 forum in Paris that Twitter will hand over details of users to authorities if required.

Wang said in regard to handing over details, "To the extent we can, we give users notice of requests so they have opportunity to defend themselves"

Suggesting that Twitter is more interested in maintaining users' rights to defence rather than standing up for them, Wang said in a tweet, "Electronic liberty panel at #eG8, described how Twitter values user privacy and protects users right to a defence. Shocked by BBC article."

The article at the BBC with the subtitle "Little Sympathy" said, "Mr Wang made it clear that if the matter came to court, those people would be on their own."

Some user responses to Wang's comments included, "Tony Wang rec to G8: open expression on Internet shld be part of human rights framework #eg8" and "Tony Wang, twitter emea, response to bad speech should be more speech. Truth prevails in the end #eg8".

One issue here is that you essentially need only an email address to create and use a Twitter account, so any details about a user's name and email address aren't necessarily correct and might therefore be of no use.

The conference in Paris follows news that Ryan Giggs' name was revealed as the footballer behind a super-injunction involving Imogen Thomas in the House of Commons after 75,000 tweeters had posted his name.

The other issue is that the legal system involved is in the UK, but Twitter users who reveal names they shouldn't can be located anywhere in the world. µ