[liberationtech] Revealed: Seven years later, how Facebook shuts down free speech in Egypt | Middle East Eye

[Thomas Delrue]

On 01/28/2018 01:05 AM, aryt alasti wrote:
> I didn't realize to what extent activists in the Middle East are relying on
> Facebook.
> 
> http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/how-facebook-bans-free-speech-egypt-activist-social-media-april-6th-mubarak-1685366161
There are many parallels to be drawn between the content in the article
you link to and some stories that I've heard of people who've been in an
abusive relationship. I'm not saying these two are equivalent... I'm
just saying that there's many parallels.

On the subject of the usage of social networks in social activism, which
the linked article is really about: very relevant content was posted
years ago on LibTech which, I think, should serve as a lighthouse for
anyone wanting to organize in any serious fashion, warning them that
there are jagged rocks and danger ahead.
For those around back then, I recommend a re-read of, and for those new,
an initial read of the thread titled "when you are using Tor, Twitter
will blocked your acc[ount]"

You will find the initial message of the thread here (do go through the
thread in full, the initial message is just the kick-off):
https://mailman.stanford.edu/pipermail/liberationtech/2014-June/013791.html
And the incredibly germane content I refer to in regards to this
particular issue is right here:
https://mailman.stanford.edu/pipermail/liberationtech/2014-June/013878.html

And now for my usual rant against FB and the like:

People need to grow up and realize that things like FB, Twitter and
other social networks & centralized services are not working in their
favor. They are doing a disservice to themselves, to their goals and to
others by using these surveillance & manipulation platforms; by using
these platforms, they cause damage to other individuals who they suck
into these platforms.

Facebook isn't there to 'connect us', Google isn't there to 'help you
find things on the Internet'; they (and others) are there to sell you
ads, extract revenue from you and to keep you docile so you can be shown
more ads and so that more revenue can be extracted from you. If that
means that anything that is bad for business is swept under the rug,
removed, blocked... if that means cozying up to the current Power of the
Day that provides them with access to this "set of eyeballs" but has a
tendency to crush dissent... well so be it.
Anyone who does not realize this yet continues to use facebook & their
ilk is like a dumb leper who has lost his bell, wandering the world,
meaning no harm... (if you'll forgive the re-purposing of that quote)

I'll leave it at this for the moment...