Quite a few journalists and bloggers have provided commentary on the newly released information that DHS is monitoring social media during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Much of what I've read has raised the specter of Big Brother with concerns about first amendment rights, freedom of speech, and privacy. That the Federal Government might be observing and monitoring publicly accessible information in an attempt to thwart possible terrorist attacks or other malicious activity is an 'outrage'. And yet over the past four weeks we've read over and over and over again that social media has been instrumental in bringing information and awareness about the plight of Haitians affected by a massive earthquake to observers around the world. In the months prior we've seen the power of social networking services as they connect disaster victims to first responders when critical infrastructure is flooded and crushed. Through social media, we've witnessed the unstoppable flow of information out of countries that, try as they might, have been unable to squelch the public chatter about what is occurring on the ground and among its citizens.

If the Olympics were taking place in the United States, the two-week long set of contests would be under the observation of the Secret Service and would be considered a National Special Security Event. These games, where contestants from opposing countries stand shoulder to shoulder, also bring worldwide attention. As with other NSSEs, the Olympics also hold the possibility for civil unrest through demonstrations (such as acts perpetrated by anti-Olympic protestors who smashed windows and spray painted store fronts this past weekend) or potentially violent attacks on Olympians (such as in 1972 when 11 Israeli team members were killed in the Olympic Village in Munich) or spectators (such as during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta).

I may be going out on a limb here, but it seems to me that given the power of social media to provide insight into a location, an event, or even public commentary, coupled with the security risks and hazards associated with a world-focusing event like the Olympics, it is a prudent strategy to monitor the ongoing communications among the public who are using public communication channels. Furthermore, it seems that it would be irresponsible to ignore the potential insights that could be obtained from these communications. In the end, wont government agencies be held to a high standard to protect U.S. citizens and allies and to prevent possible malicious activity during an event such as the Olympics?

Two years ago, the Democratic National Convention came to Denver, Colorado and I observed the activities of the locals and the federal agencies as they monitored the media. Few protocols existed to conduct systematic observations of online communications channels in real time; a lack of resources and a lack of awareness of the potential information that might be obtained from the information media rounded out those efforts. In only 18 months, we've seen the emergence of not only a widespread recognition of the potential value of information flowing through new media, but also an approach to monitor, assess, and analyze chatter to produce situational awareness in the event that an incident occurs. Hopefully, the games will continue in a peaceful manner; but should something occur, preventative activities via communications monitoring has the potential to lead to incredibly useful insights for operations and increase response capabilities.