The FBI is in the market for a system that can turn data scraped from social media and news sites into useful anti-terrorist and criminal intelligence. It wants information about domestic and global threats displayed on maps "using mash-up technology," according to a "request for information" given to agency vendors last week.

A new survey finds wide support in Britain for shutting down Twitter and Facebook during times of civil unrest. Following rioting in August 2011 in which London Police say social media and BlackBerry email were used to organize, the rioters, police want the ability to disable the networks when they feel a need exists to protect the public.