Just last week after an outburst of civilian protests against their President Mubarak, the Egyptian government enacted the Internet kill switch, shutting off all Internet access, and, therefore, all access to social networking sites. The supposed purpose of this action was to curb protests by cutting off simple lines of communication such as Twitter and Facebook to prevent Cyber warfare. Both of these sites provide easy channels for the general public to communicate and organize actions, such as protests and demonstrations. Additionally, the sites give the people a voice, so they are able to share their opinions on the matter (of the government) to audiences worldwide.
Twitter, for example, lets anyone create a free account and post short messages, called Tweets, about any subject at any point in time. While being a prime networking tool for businesses, Twitter is also used by many ordinary people to get their voice out to the world. It allows messages (news, personal opinion tweets, etc.) to be released quickly and efficiently.
Facebook, on the other hand, provides a great channel for organizing “events,” which could include anything from a small family gathering to a large protest in the streets. Anyone with an account can create pages, which again aid networking of like-minded individuals.
A recent article from The New Yorker states that, “The world, we are told, is in the midst of a revolution. The new tools of social media have reinvented social activism. With Facebook and Twitter and the like, the traditional relationship between political authority and popular will has been upended, making it easier for the powerless to collaborate, coordinate, and give voice to their concerns.” –Malcolm Gladwell. This sums up what I’ve been trying to say very well. Gladwell offers more wisdom on the matter in his article entitled From Innovation to Revolution.
But what does this all mean for us in the U.S, for instance? China controls their communication already. Legislation has been considered to enact the ability for the government to enact the Internet Kill switch in the States, but there has been much opposition to it. It does seem to be in breech of amendment rights (freedom of speech). What if control got in the wrong hands? Could it ever be approved? Even now in Egypt, there are services that help Egyptians get around the lack of Internet access.
And we have to keep in mind, there are always hackers who have their own ways.
Here is a short clip considering the controversy of the kill switch:
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