Twitter = get out of jail free card

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Avid Twitter fans are more than ten a penny today, with bloggers, journalists and social media enthusiasts using this must have web 2.0 application to communicate with and update others on their daily happenings. But little did we know, Twitter is not only useful for finding answers to burning questions or letting our followers know when we’re making the coffee or bored at work… It seems it is also pretty useful in a sticky situation, say for example getting arrested.

US student James Karl Buck, was covering an anti-government protest in Egypt when he and his translator were arrested. During the commotion, Buck used his mobile phone to update his Twitter status, telling all of his friends and followers in one word, many of which were also in Egypt, that he had been “Arrested”.

This smart move meant that all of his followers around the world instantly knew of his plight and could start the ball rolling in securing his freedom.

Buck also sent updates every couple of hours using his phone, which the Egyptian police had failed to confiscate. Buck was eventually freed but his interpreter’s whereabouts remains unknown. In essence, Twitter helped him find the right contacts to get him out of jail.

So if you ever find yourself in trouble, you know which social network to turn to…