Twit for twat as governments embrace social media

Legalbrief reports that a growing number of world leaders are using platforms like Twitter to spread their messages, but the immediacy of the service can bite them. When his Conservative party was still in opposition in 2009, Primer Minister David Cameron famously explained his reluctance to join Twitter, saying: 'The instantness of it.....I think - too many twits might make a twat.' However, a report on the Fin24.com site notes that he's a recent convert and last week Cameron unveiled a major shake-up of his Cabinet through his two official Twitter accounts, which between them boast 3.4m followers. Full report on the Fin24.com site

Ghana and the US have clashed after President John Dramani Mahama used Twitter to communicate the need for government officials to accept a salary cut. He tweeted on his site Twitter page, @JD Mahama, 'I wish to assure you that the results of these sacrifices would begin to show very soon.' A report on the allAfrica.com site notes that the US embassy's official handle responded with the following question: 'And what sacrifices are you making?' The report notes the tweet from the US embassy elicited fierce responses and condemnation from some state officials who felt the embassy was unduly interfering in the politics of the country and showing disrespect to the presidency. The embassy later apologised for the 'private message mistakenly sent out on our account', according to the report. However, states the report, Foreign Affairs Minister Hannah Tetteh noted that 'the tweet was public and associated with your twitter handle'. Full report on the allAfrica.com site

Staying in Africa, hackers hijacked the Twitter accounts of Kenya's Ministry of Defence and its spokesperson, sending out tweets which have embarrassed the government. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the hackers claim to be from the international activist collective Anonymous. 'So much poverty in Africa while you are wasting money in guns,' they posted, along with pictures of emaciated children. Military spokesperson Colonel Willy Wesonga said military technicians were trying to establish the identity of the people behind the cyber attack on the account, which is used to provide information to the public, according to the report. It notes Anonymous is a loosely affiliated global network of hackers who have attacked websites of countries and companies around the world to protest against their actions. Full report in The Sydney Morning Herald

Meanwhile, Kuwait's top court has upheld a 10-year jail sentence for a Shiite Twitter user for insulting the Prophet Mohammed and his wife and companions. The Times reports that Hamad al-Naqi (24) was also charged with insulting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and spreading false news that undermined Kuwait's image abroad, the verdict said. The court's ruling is final and can only be commuted by the ruler. The report notes he has been in prison since his arrest in March 2012 for posting tweets deemed offensive to the Prophet Mohammed, his companions and Gulf leaders. Naqi, a member of Kuwait's Shiite minority, denied the accusations, saying his Twitter account was hacked, the report states. He was first handed the jail term by the lower court in June 2012. The report notes that according to Global Voices Online, the original tweet translated to 'Never seen a prophet who doesn't feel ashamed of God but of the stinky Othman (companion of the Prophet) and doing porn movies with Ayesha.' That report also states that a hacker tweeted 'thanks to Allah we have controlled this account and this will be the beginning of the end for Shia, your brother: the defeater of Shia @Al5aTab' using that same account. Full report in The Times

An Iranian court has sentenced eight Facebook page administrators to jail for terms between eight and 21 years, according to a Jurist report. The defendants were convicted of plotting against national security, spreading propaganda against the ruling system and insulting officials, though the Facebook pages in question are unknown. The report states that the defendants were convicted in April. Facebook, as well as other popular social networking sites, are banned in Iran. The report reminds readers that in May a judge in the southern Iranian province of Fars ordered Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to appear in court regarding complaints that his company's Instagram and Whatsapp applications have violated individuals' privacy. Full Jurist report

And the lawyer for a group of detained Ethiopian bloggers and reporters is filing a civil suit against police for holding them without charge for nearly three months. A report on the News24 site notes that the six members of the blogging collective Zone Nine and three journalists were arrested in April and accused by the government of unspecified 'serious crimes'. According to the report, rights groups have condemned the arrests as one of the worst crackdowns on the press in recent years and accuse the Ethiopian Government of silencing dissent ahead of national elections next May. 'We are waiting for charges to appear. I'm going to lodge a civil suit against police requesting the court to compel the police to release them,' Amaha Mekonnen is quoted in the report as saying. Full report on the News24 site