Tweet, tweet, bomb?

Hmmm…so the Army has claimed that terrorists may be ‘tweeting’ along to plan and organize attacks. Well yeah, I guess they could use Gmail, Slashdot comments and other things the same way, it seems their claim is that since this is more ‘real time’ it could be a danger. Ok, oh, and they take a swipe at Skype as well. Additionally they define a new name I would happily accept, “The report describes hacktivists as politically motivated hackers“. Hacktvist, that’s awesome. The report goes on with,

“The ‘Twitter’ member can send Tweets (messages) near real time to Twitter cell phone groups and to their online Twitter social networking page,” the author said, adding that “there are multiple pro- and anti-Hezbollah Tweets.”

Twitter members “can also mashup their Tweets with a variety of other tools including geo-coordinates and Google Maps or other electronic files/artifacts. Members can direct and re-direct audience members to other Web sites and locations from ‘Tweets’ and can engage in rapid-fire group social interaction,” the writer said.

The author outlined three scenarios where Twitter could be used by terrorists, and pointed out that terrorists have also talked about using other technologies, including cell phones, and Skype and other internet telephony services.

The author, who did not sign the paper, warned that most of the information came from “al-Qaida-like Web sites from ‘uncorroborated’ postings made by terrorists” and “persons sympathetic to terrorism.” Only “rudimentary Arabic language skills and the Google translating tool” were used.

There’s no doubt that ‘terrorists’ will use any means necessary to accomplish their goals, but is this really something to take seriously?