Germany mulls banning wild Facebook parties

London: Authorities in Germany are suggesting to ban Facebook parties in advance if the police believe such events could lead to a law and order problem, Daily Telegraph reported.

The call has been given following some incidents in the past where participants of such parties caused lawlessness. Last month, Hamburg police arrested 11 individuals when about 1,600 people gatecrashed a 16-year-old girl`s birthday party. The girl, who had to flee the party, had apparently forgotten to switch off her Facebook privacy settings while inviting friends to the celebration. In another incident the same month, police in Germany`s Wuppertal town arrested 41 party-goers after 16 people were injured when 800 Facebook users caused havoc at another party. "If public order and safety are put at risk, then Facebook parties must be banned in advance," Uwe Schunemann, the centre-right Christian Democrats` interior minister for the Lower Saxony state, told the newspaper Welt am Sonntag. Ralf Jager, interior minister for Germany`s North-Rhine Westphalia state, said if "a Facebook party was dangerous to participants and third parties", police should prohibit it. But critics of the proposal questioned just how police would monitor Facebook chatter for evidence of a large party and - how they would impose a ban. Blanket bans would also persecute people who had no intention of causing trouble, opponents argue. Facebook is one of Germany`s most popular social networking sites with over 19 million users. As in other countries, teenagers, students and young adults are the most committed users. IANS