Social media becomes the Olympics challenge

By Tabita Diela

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will face many problems when the London Olympic Games begin next week, July 27, 2012. Because the millions of sports fans in the world not only gathered in London to watch the Olympics, they will also share what they see in the arena through Facebook and Twitter.

The explosion of social networking is a big opportunity for the IOC, but IOC also has a responsibility to keep the information flow out of the arena. IOC is responsible for broadcasting stations who have signed contracts worth billions of dollars for exclusive coverage. Fans inside the stadium will be allowed to use their smartphone to record the athletes competing, but they are not allowed to upload them to Facebook.