The BBC is reported to be conducting talks about banning or restricting its talent from using social media to discuss their work.</p> <p>According to the Guardian, senior executives within BBC have been discussing putting restrictions and/or bans into place that will prohibit their writers, stars, and other staff from tweeting or updating followers and fans on their BBC-related professional activities.</p> <p>?There?s no doubt that Twitter is a popular communications phenomenon but it can also be quite disruptive if artists tweet about an appearance on a show or announce a new commission before the broadcaster is ready to go with the story,? someone from the BBC told the paper.</p> <p>It is said that several recent events have motivated the actions, including a leak which caused major disruptions in BBC?s launch of its BBC iPlayer for mobile devices, a series of tweets made by Sophie Ellis-Bextor telling followers that she was appearing on Ricky Gervais? new show and Armando Iannucci?s tweets regarding the recommissioning of ?The Thick of It? before its official press release.</p> <p>Since the story broke, the BBC has responded by saying that ?ban? is not the right word and that it does and will continue to encourage its staff to use social media, but within certain guidelines.</p> <p>?The BBC is not banning the use of Twitter by talent or writers. The BBC has clear guidelines in place for both the personal and professional use of social media, and we encourage staff, writers, and talent to use social media, provided it does not break any confidentiality agreements,? says their spokesperson.<br />