If Mr Harding's analogy is correct, the hacking story may also spread beyond the shocking and possibly criminal antics of a few, to engulf popularjournalism generally, with probing questions about its behaviour, integrity and morality.
Stone said that as the service got more popular, they began to hear stories of people using Twitter during natural disasters with a focus on activism and journalism.
Permitting only those with a degree in journalism to work in the media, the law would further limit citizen journalism and the freedom of expression of small and remote indigenous communities, according to the Network of Popular and Educational Radios in Ecuador (Corape).