Iran lifts block on Facebook access

Iran lifts block on Facebook access

www.miamiherald.com

The Associated Press
TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran restored access to Facebook Tuesday, after a block on the social networking Web site last week generated accusations that the government was trying to muzzle one of the main presidential campaign tools of the reformist opposition.

Facebook was cut off Saturday, depriving challengers to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of a critical means of reaching out for the youth vote in the June 12 election.

The main pro-reform candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, is seeking a strong turnout from young voters and has used Facebook to try to mobilize support.

Au

(visit the link for the full news article)

I do declare I swear the Internet is having so much more of an impact than anyone’s government would like to admit.

I am relatively sure Israel suspended Operation Cast Lead in Gaza premature of their objectives because of Internet bloggers opposed to it.

I am relatively sure Iran has restored Facebook access to its citizens because of Internet bloggers opposed to it.

A lot of people are going to say no on both accounts. I really am not so sure.

The Mainstream media of anyone’s nation can manipulate stories to prejudice the masses and control just what is being disseminated out of them, but I think from Washington, to London, to Tel Aviv to Tehran all of whom have opened more and more Official Accounts on their own to get certain messages out on things like Twitter, Myspace, and Youtube are paying attention to what the public at large is blogging.


www.miamiherald.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Press freedom has been a key political and social issue in Iran during the 12 years that Mohammad Khatami and then Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have been president. The hopes raised by the election of Khatami, a moderate, in August 1997 were quickly dashed. His conservative opponents retained control of the courts and security apparatus. The offensive against the media was stepped up in a campaign orchestrated by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader.

Reporters With Out Borders

Iran has a long way to go on this issue and it might be wise to keep in mind while President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad puts a public face on the Iranian nation and has some real power, the supreme power is the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Half of Iran was born after the 1976 Islamic Revolution and there is a good chance that in time the younger generation will loosen the grips of the Religious Minded overseers.

Though I must confess as a born and raised in America, American, good luck at getting the religious influence out of any government!

Even one supposedly founded on seperation of Church and State!

Well this move certainly looks better than keeping up the block. I think blogger has a vary motivated community but if your not into blogging then it's not going to effect you. I also think that if you are around a lot of people who feel strongly about something then it is easy to see it as bigger than what it really is. On the other hand, if you don't do something and are not associated with anyone who is it would be easy to underestimate something.

Iran blocking of facebook has had a lot of MSM coverage. One thing that I will say is that technology is changing the world, as we go along it will only effect it more faster.

Originally posted by Styki
Well this move certainly looks better than keeping up the block. I think blogger has a vary motivated community but if your not into blogging then it's not going to effect you. I also think that if you are around a lot of people who feel strongly about something then it is easy to see it as bigger than what it really is. On the other hand, if you don't do something and are not associated with anyone who is it would be easy to underestimate something.

Iran blocking of facebook has had a lot of MSM coverage. One thing that I will say is that technology is changing the world, as we go along it will only effect it more faster.

I agree with you friend, technology is remaking so many different aspects of life and society.

I think it was a smart move on Iran's part. On Saturday the Iranian President claimed he wasn't behind it and it was temporarily restored, but by Monday it had been cut off again. I have a funny feeling he might have went to the Mullahs and told them this is not helping me it's hurting me and got them to lift it again. It will be interesting to see if it stays lifted or if they end up blocking it again as their elections in June draw closer.

I just read this article on the internet. For shi _ _ and giggles I typed Mousavi's name on friend search in Facebook and came up empty. Any thoughts?

Originally posted by PammyK
I just read this article on the internet. For shi _ _ and giggles I typed Mousavi's name on friend search in Facebook and came up empty. Any thoughts?

I am not sure PammyK, I live here in the United States and I have to confess I have never even looked at facebook, myspace or those kinds of sights.

Call me old fashioned but I think there should be a law against text messaging anyone over 40 on a cell phone!

IDN WU Meant!

There could be filters between countries on Face Book?

Or...one of the reasons I posted the Reporters with Out Borders link is Iran is one of 13 countries that puts filters on a lot of sights routinely.

They might have actually brought facebook back up but then at the same time put a filter on his name so no one could access it.

Interestingly enough though, the Folun Gong dissident religious group in China has according to Reporters with out Borders exported it's filter by passing software and techniques into the Iranian youth sub culture so that they too can by pass Internet filters. It's estimated that 400,000 Iranians have free unfettered access to the Internet through this widely adopted approach.

One of the reasons the Mullahs might have allowed Face Book to come back online in Iran is because they realized such a large number of Iranians were accessing it anyway using the Folun Gong approach of by passing Internet filters and the bad press wasn't worth the few technologically unsavvy people they were stopping from accessing Face Book.

I will try to find out more about your question though as why he doesn't pull up.

In the meantime I will put you on my friends list right here on ATS!