Syria Bans Facebook

December 30, 2007 at 3:01 am · Filed under Facebook, International, Social Networks and tagged: Facebook, Syria

Want proof that social networks are effective tools for social change? Just watch the dictators in action. Facebook, the popular social site often used by political activists to organize members around global causes has been banned in Syria, reportedly over fears of Israeli “infiltration,” reports the Associated Press. Comments the Seattle PI’s Monica Guzman:

The move comes as no surprise to some Web-savvy Syrians whose online reaction has been translated and summarized on Global Voices Online. But as American lives become more and more entrenched in the online world, it can be easy to forget that some governments wield the Internet switch as a political tool, protecting their hegemony by restricting their citizens’ participation in the global network.

Guzman also notes that 1,800 people have joined the Facebook group “Don’t Block FACEBOOK In SYRIA !! …”

Comments