Essential Report
Banning Use of Social Media
Q. The British Prime Minister has suggested that in situations such as the recent riots, people should be banned from using social media such as Twitter and Facebook. Do you agree or disagree.
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | Use frequently | Use sometimes | Use occasionally | Never use | |
Total agree | 47% | 51% | 51% | 22% | 29% | 52% | 62% | 27% | 55% | 52% | 64% |
Total disagree | 39% | 38% | 36% | 65% | 59% | 31% | 29% | 62% | 31% | 31% | 25% |
Strongly agree | 24% | 25% | 26% | 5% | 10% | 28% | 35% | 14% | 16% | 24% | 40% |
Agree | 23% | 26% | 25% | 17% | 19% | 24% | 27% | 13% | 39% | 28% | 24% |
Disagree | 24% | 25% | 21% | 34% | 30% | 24% | 20% | 35% | 20% | 21% | 17% |
Strongly disagree | 15% | 13% | 15% | 31% | 29% | 9% | 9% | 27% | 11% | 10% | 8% |
Don’t know | 13% | 11% | 13% | 13% | 13% | 16% | 9% | 10% | 13% | 16% | 11% |
47% agreed with the suggestion to ban people from using social media in particular situations such as the recent UK riots and 39% disagreed.
Those most likely to disagree were Greens voters (65%) and people aged 18-34 (59%).
Responses were strongly associated with usage. 62% of those who use social media frequently disagreed compared to 31% of those who use sometimes/occasionally and 25% of those who never use.

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