Boston.com - Twitter, a tool of choice for dissidents and activists around the world, found itself the target of global outrage Friday after unveiling plans to allow country-specific censorship of tweets that might break local laws.
"This is very bad news," tweeted Egyptian activist Mahmoud Salem, who operates under the name Sandmonkey. Later, he wrote, "Is it safe to say that (hash)Twitter is selling us out?"
Reporters Without Borders, which advocates globally for press freedom, sent a letter to Twitter's executive chairman, Jack Dorsey, urging that the censorship policy be ditched immediately.
"By finally choosing to align itself with the censors, Twitter is depriving cyberdissidents in repressive countries of a crucial tool for information and organization," the letter said. "Twitter's position that freedom of expression is interpreted differently from country to country is unacceptable."
Many of the critics assailing the new policy suggested that it was devised as part of a long-term plan for Twitter to enter China, where its service is currently blocked.
On one hand, he said, Twitter could put its employees in peril if it was deemed to be breaking local laws.
Are people really mad that Twitter is taking steps to prevent potential laws being broken that they might be blamed for by other lunatic world leaders? Like are revolutions and uprisings all across the globe now being thwarted because the guy who invented Twitter wants to make it available to China without worrying about being kidnapped by their government? That quote from Reporters without Borders is insane on a number of levels. First off, a cyberdissident sounds like a real asshole. Secondly, Twitter is depriving you of a crucial tool for information? They didn't come in and take all the computers and iPhones out of Egypt. Is Sandmonkey saying that without Twitter he'll be forced to type nothing while he hides in his bathtub all day? Thirdly, "Twitter's position that all freedom of expression is interpreted differently from country to country is unacceptable"??? Really? Tell that to the people that didn't cry at Kim Jung Il's funeral. Actually, you can't. They're all dead. Everyone should just let Twitter worry about not getting itself blown up and know that you can still use it, just don't be smarmy, illegal dickheads about it.
Many of the critics assailing the new policy suggested that it was devised as part of a long-term plan for Twitter to enter China, where its service is currently blocked.
On one hand, he said, Twitter could put its employees in peril if it was deemed to be breaking local laws.
Are people really mad that Twitter is taking steps to prevent potential laws being broken that they might be blamed for by other lunatic world leaders? Like are revolutions and uprisings all across the globe now being thwarted because the guy who invented Twitter wants to make it available to China without worrying about being kidnapped by their government? That quote from Reporters without Borders is insane on a number of levels. First off, a cyberdissident sounds like a real asshole. Secondly, Twitter is depriving you of a crucial tool for information? They didn't come in and take all the computers and iPhones out of Egypt. Is Sandmonkey saying that without Twitter he'll be forced to type nothing while he hides in his bathtub all day? Thirdly, "Twitter's position that all freedom of expression is interpreted differently from country to country is unacceptable"??? Really? Tell that to the people that didn't cry at Kim Jung Il's funeral. Actually, you can't. They're all dead. Everyone should just let Twitter worry about not getting itself blown up and know that you can still use it, just don't be smarmy, illegal dickheads about it.
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