Published in the Journal information on February 4, 2011
One of the most curious definitions I've read in the media these days about the crisis in Egypt, described the government of this country (and its southern Mediterranean neighbors) and "secular regimes, is say that last for centuries, if not have been that way since the world began: tyrannical, repressive, and have not yet reached the French Revolution.
Well, these secular regimes has left them a very big grain whose appearance is lined with new technologies but in his heart harbors a lot more deadly virus that is freedom.
What has happened these days in Egypt, but this summer was the case in Iran, Tunisia a fortnight ago and threatens to spread to North Africa, Middle East and medium term to Asia (including China) and perhaps even to Cuba has to do with the power to rally the masses and organizing ideas that have the technology today, two factors do not know that until now have always played for the dictators: Space and Time.
Internet, social networks, mobile telephony, digital television, are an inexpensive, universal and instantaneous, and that the "secular government" did not count and will start counting the only way they know, which is repressed.
Enrique Dans As is pointed out in his blog, Internet and social networks are merely the "catalyst" that has allowed the social unrest in these countries by facilitating communication among small groups of people that are difficult to control and very little time are able to organize and stay connected. It is the system or responsible, or the problem or the solution, only the new channel of communication, information and action.
Last Monday I saw the following, looking at my Twitter the hastag # Egypt (for those who do not understand this will translate: looking at one of the most famous social networks was commenting on Egypt) and in twelve hours of the night in Spain (and Egypt), there were 15,000 comments. In other words, the network literally burning, and that the Internet had been censored in the land of the pharaohs.
What has happened these days in Egypt with the Internet and access to information?
Chronologically, the population was organized through social networks, blogs and mobile phones for the "Day of Wrath" last January 25 (one of the earliest and most famous since and cyber-demos history)
The next day the Egyptian government cut off access to Facebook, Twitter and some of the Google services and utilities. Two days later, cut off all Internet access except for sites named Noor provider that serves strategic sites for the government as the Bag of Cairo. Slipped around some Internet connections with Egypt, which made a real work of viral dissemination of information, until Monday, January 31 Mubarak government decided to cut this last connection. This chronology happen genuine acts of guerrilla war and as the following:
Anonymous (a group organized to attack Internet governments to limit freedom), participated in the revolt knocking some of the websites of the Egyptian administration.
censorship's work was done with the invaluable collaboration of state internet provider Telecom Egypt, who used the American company Narus (company from Sunnyvale, California, founded in 1997 by Israeli experts and now owned by Boeing, according to digital newspaper The Huffington Post) to monitor the activities of Internet users, monitor real-time traffic and the possibility (not yet shown) to find physically people stop, because these systems allow us to follow every trace and locate the connection.
Depriving Egyptian mobile phone, SMS, Internet and Al Jazeera also blocked, people have used since the fax, even Internet connections through international telephone numbers and some international Internet companies in defense of freedom of expression of the Egyptian population (Google and Twitter) have teamed up to allow any Egyptian leave the cyberspace leaving voice messages that are translated automatically to Twitter.
Youtube has also provided special coverage for any video that comes with images Recent Egyptian reality.
not think that makes me very calm that Google, YouTube and Twitter are the guarantor of my freedom of expression, but I prefer to any "secular government."
The conclusions we can draw on today are spectacular and certainly not be the last:
First, the vital nature that have reached the communication channels based on mobile telephony and the Internet, and their immediate corollary : how easy it is for any authority to click the new "red button" to disable the system. Therefore the telephone and Internet providers (Incidentally the same for all companies) have become strategic, even more than energy, and basic necessities.
Second, that despite everything, the authorities forget that the Internet is by no government but the citizens and property with the permission of multinational companies that allow us to move around the ciberautopistas. This decision is the future of these great giants of the world economy, in deciding whether they are citizens / shareholders / clients or their governments.
And thirdly, and in conclusion, let us not forget that anything that comes to all universally, can awaken any of us great. As
computer viruses are created and propagated from any kid's room may also arise technology initiatives to turn any computer into a repeater capable of sending and receiving Internet that nothing can stop it. I think we shall soon see the latter.
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