Syria blocks Facebook in Internet crackdown

Reuters via Drudge Report ^ | Nov 23, 2007 | Khaled Yacoub Oweis

[RDTF]

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syrian users of Facebook said on Friday the authorities had blocked access to the social network Web site as part of a crackdown on political activism on the Internet.

"Facebook helped further civil society in Syria and form civic groups outside government control. This is why it has been banned," women's rights advocate Dania al-Sharif told Reuters.

"They cut off communications between us and the outside world. We are used to this behavior from our government," said Mais al-Sharbaji, who set up a Facebook group for amateur Syrian photographers.

There was no comment form the government, which has intensified a campaign against bloggers, virtual opinion forums and independent media sites in recent months.

-snip-

[Mr. Blonde]

Interesting, here it is a major tool for procrastinating and not doing work.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

More proof that Islamists are akin to Communists and Fascists, in that opposing opinions cannot be tolerated (because they cannot be overcome by argument).

[jiggyboy]

Pardon my Luddite-ism, but certainly there is a way to get these sorts of things done via the internet without Facebook et al. Perhap the way it was done a year ago.