[In the news] Twitter faces censorship charges, blackout call – GMA News

Twitter faces censorship charges, blackout call. CHRIS LEFHOW, Agence France Presse January 28, 2012 WASHINGTON – Twitter, championed as a tool of free expression during the Arab Spring, was facing censorship charges on Friday after announcing it can now block tweets on a country-by-country basis if legally required to do so. San Francisco-based Twitter stressed…

Human Rights Online Philippines

January 28, 2012

1–2 minutes

Agence France-Presse, Arab Spring, Censorship, democracy activist, free expression, Freedom of speech, Friday, Mahmoud Salem, San Francisco, Social network, Twitter

Twitter faces censorship charges, blackout call.

CHRIS LEFHOW, Agence France Presse

January 28, 2012

WASHINGTON – Twitter, championed as a tool of free expression during the Arab Spring, was facing censorship charges on Friday after announcing it can now block tweets on a country-by-country basis if legally required to do so.

San Francisco-based Twitter stressed the move in no way compromised its commitment to free speech, but the backlash was immediate with critics taking to the service by the thousands to tweet disappointment and outrage.

“This is very bad news,” said Mahmoud Salem, the Egyptian pro-democracy activist and blogger who tweets using the handle @sandmonkey. “Is it safe to say that #Twitter is selling us out?”

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