Brussels lockdown: How Twitter can impede active police investigations

Police in Belgium asked citizens for “radio silence” on social media as they conducted a series of 19 raids in and around the nation’s capital over the weekend, in their hunt for a fugitive suspect in the Paris attacks.

The country’s Minister of Defence, Steven Vandeput, issued a statement on Twitter asking residents to refrain from tweeting the whereabouts of police activity, using the hashtag #BrusselsLockdown.

The plea came after many residents had shared information about police raids throughout the city. Tensions are high in Brussels – the city  continues to be under lockdown with authorities hunting for one or more suspected militants.

READ MORE: Belgium arrests 21 during raids in hunt for key Paris attacks suspect

But what many may not realize is those tweets could have impeded police efforts. Some liken it to tweeting about a R.I.D.E. program location – theoretically, it may defeat the purpose of surprising drivers who are drinking and driving.

Police worry that in active police investigations, suspects may turn to social media for information about where officers are located, or where road blocks are set up, in order to get away.

This isn’t the first time citizen reporting has sparked concerns for police.

After the fatal shooting at the National War Memorial in Ottawa in October 2014, hundreds of social media users began tweeting the location and sharing images of police barricades before the shooter had been located.

In June, RCMP urged Moncton, N.B., residents to not disclose any information about police operations or whereabouts during the manhunt for Justin Bourque, after he shot and killed three officers and wounded two others.

Similar scenes unfolded following the Boston Marathon bombing, as police conducted a massive search for suspects Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

READ MORE: Belgians tweet photos of cats, not cops, during #BrusselsLockdown

Communications expert Vincent Mosco said social media users should be aware of how their tweets can affect the outcome of police investigations.

“My observation is that we are in the early stages, but are learning, to use social media in a more mature way,” Mosco said.

“My fear is that we will get so worked up over misuses of Twitter that it might, given situations like this, prompt authorities to close it down.”

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