This year has witnessed one of the most significant social changes in perhaps a century. The so-called Arab Spring that has or is trying to topple regimes across North Africa and the Middle East, and the recent rioting in London and Philadelphia, have all used a common form of communication – social media – and governments are at a loss to understand it, let alone come up with effective ways to control the flow of information through these sites.
Look at what happened in Egypt when the likes of Facebook were blocked. One clever protester set up an account on a Muslim dating site, disguised (virtually) as a woman, in order to send coded messages to his colleagues regarding protest activity. This particular individual had tens of thousands of friends in regular communication via this medium!
Then there’s the posting of still and video images, uploaded from cellphones, of protest action and government responses on the likes of YouTube. This has opened a window of reporting to countries where mainstream media’s reporting has been banned or severely curtailed. However, media is still trying to figure out how to handle these reports, as their authenticity and accuracy can’t be independently verified.
Concerned governments have tried to block access to these sites, often without success. I recall Iran’s protesters accessed remote servers in other countries in order to keep the flow of information and communications open. As soon as the Iranian Authorities blocked one overseas server, another would pop up from elsewhere in the world. This game of Cat & Mouse went on for months, and served as a model for others in the region to use.
Some governments have also tried to post misinformation to confuse those protesting against them with virtually no success, such is the mistrust by the local population. This means that those in power either need to find more effective ways to quell dissent or acquiesce to the demands of their citizens. Time will tell which road they choose.
What started out as a vehicle for sharing one’s lives with others, linking friends and family and business networking, has become a tool for good or evil, depending on who’s using it and how it’s used. No matter what, it’s changing the face of societies, worldwide.
