Twitter vows to tip off suspects

TWITTER will alert terror suspects and alleged criminals if police ask for information about its users.

The social media site has said it will only keep the authorities’ request secret if compelled to do so by a court order — but even then may warn users after the information has been provided.

Twitter said its policy is to “notify users of requests for their account information, which includes a copy of the request, prior to disclosure unless we are prohibited from doing so.”

Facebook has a similar pol- icy to notify users of police requests for information “unless we are prohibited by law from doing so or in exceptional circumstances”.

A senior police source said the situation was “scary”.

“The epicentre of the battle against terrorists causing mayhem . . . is precisely in this area of social media, where it is proven they meet, exchange messages and communicate ideas of hate,” the officer said.

News Corp can also reveal authorities asked Twitter for the account information of 10 users from July to December last year — but were only given “some information” to five of the accounts.

In the same period authorities made 829 requests to Facebook for information, which was provided in 68 per cent of the cases.

Twitter said there were exceptions to notifying its users of request — “like emergencies and counterproductive circumstances.”