Regulating #indyref: Social Media and the Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013
Pages | 406-410 |
Published date | 01 September 2014 |
Author | Andrew Tickell |
DOI | 10.3366/elr.2014.0234 |
Date | 01 September 2014 |
The social networking service Facebook was founded in 2004, followed by the micro-blogging platform Twitter in 2006. Nearly a decade on these social media services have expanded rapidly. As of June 2014 Twitter hosts 255 million monthly active users, Twitter, D Rushe, “Facebook posts record quarterly results and reports $1.5bn profit for 2013” Scottish Television,
The impact of these new media forms on political debate in Scotland has been considerably amplified by the independence referendum campaign, which has already seen unprecedented levels of online dialogue involving the official campaigns, political parties, traditional media outlets, bloggers, concerned organisations and interested citizens. The impact of new media forms on the constitutional debate is currently being assessed by Dr Mark Shephard of the University of Strathclyde and others in an AQMeN/ESRC funded project. See further, Available at Available at
With the commencement of the sixteen week pre-poll “regulated period” at the beginning of June 2014, this exchange of ideas is now subject to regulation under the Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013. Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013 sch 8 (henceforth the “2013 Act”).
The legal framework for the referendum was established by an Order in Council,
The Scotland Act 1998 (Modification of Schedule 5) Order 2013.
under section 30(2) of the Scotland Act 1998, which amended the list of reserved matters in schedule 5 of the Act to clarify that a referendum on Scottish independence fell within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament if certain conditions were met.Scotland Act 1998 sch 5 para 5A.
Scottish and Westminster Governments,
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