Bobby Miller
Writer Website
Political Revolutions: Like Us on Facebook
1,300 words
For most people, Facebook and Twitter are ways to chat with friends and catch up on the latest news. Many people use the sites to procrastinate when they have something important to be doing! However, in some countries, these websites have saved lives and allowed political upheavals to occur. They allow for free communication that has challenged authoritarian governments, making some go so far as to say that the Internet is a tool for democracy.
The Political Revolutions
The first instance in which we saw social media websites widely used during protests was the Iranian Revolution of 2009, sometimes referred to as the “Twitter Revolution.” Although the revolution ultimately failed according to ePolitics.com, it would set an example for other countries to follow as they pursue rights for all.
In an election that took place around the middle of 2009, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad emerged as the victor by a huge percentage. However, all three of the opposing candidates claimed the election was rigged, and the citizens of Iran believed something was wrong with the results as well. In response, they began protesting peacefully, though the police sometimes responded with brutality.
Tunisia, a country in northern Africa, experienced a similar revolution in December 2010 and January 2011. Sometimes called the Jasmine Revolution, as SixEstate.com notes, the people of the country succeeded in ousting the longtime president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. According to The Daily Telegraph, people were upset over rampant unemployment, no freedom of speech, poor living conditions, and political corruption. The revolution began in full when Mohamed Bouazizi, a young vendor, had his wares confiscated and faced harassment from police authorities. The Stump, a Crikey Group blog, reports that he responded with self-immolation, that is, setting himself on fire. When news of this spread (via the Internet, of course), the people decided it was high time for change.
A picture of activist Mohamed Bouazizi.
The actions of the Tunisian people inspired a similar uprising in Egypt that began on January 25, 2011. As with the other political revolutions, the people practiced non-violent civil resistance through actions such as demonstrations, marches, civil disobedience, and labor strikes. Their grievances were very similar to those of the Tunisian people. The lack of freedom of speech was so severe, in fact, that the government was fining and imprisoning bloggers or journalists who criticized its actions. It censored anything that went against the regime, as the State.gov 2009 Human Rights Report notes. The demonstrations eventually led to the overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, creating an environment in which democracy can grow.
The Role of Social Media
These revolutions all have one thing in common: the Internet facilitated communication within the country and around the world, helping people to organize and to bring attention to the issues at hand. According to ParisTechReview.com, about a third of the Tunisian people are online, and over 20 percent of the Egyptian population are on the Internet. Plus, most of the populations own cell phones, which also helped communication.
Rim Nour, a young Tunisian activist, told GovFresh.com that there are four primary functions social media plays in political revolutions. To begin with, social websites allow for grassroots mobilization. For instance, if the people want to stage a demonstration somewhere, they can post the news on Facebook to get everyone organized. Social media also allows for the rise of civil society and active citizenship, according to Nour. People can alert others of snipers or any authoritarian figure who intends harm, a measure that has saved lives. The freedom of speech that social media allows can also counter political rumors and propaganda. In countries where the government controls the mainstream press, the most accurate news comes from fellow protestors. Kamal Sedra, another digital activist, expressed a similar opinion to PBS.org, asserting that “transparency is a weapon against corruption.” Finally, social media helps people analyze government statements. If the government tries to make a concession to protestors, they can discuss whether or not it is enough.
A Facebook page honoring Khaled Mohamed Saeed, a victim of Egypt’s questionable regime.
With the numerous ways in which social media has helped protestors, Egyptian activist Wael Ghonim thanked Facebook for the success of the revolution. He told HuffingtonPost.com, “I want to meet Mark Zuckerberg one day and thank him . . . This revolution started online. This revolution started on Facebook. We would post a video on Facebook that would be shared by 60,000 people on their walls within a few hours. I've always said that if you want to liberate a society just give them the Internet.”
Government Response to Social Media
The countries in which these revolutions occurred promised the freedom of speech, but this was never reflected in their actions. Aside from censoring mainstream media, the governments tried to clamp down on Internet communication when they saw just how powerful it was.
Egypt, in particular, took numerous measures to suppress the use of social media. Its government blocked “critical news sites and Facebook pages created by protestors,” as TheDailyBeast.com notes. Àli, an anonymous Egyptian protestor, had to put up over five sites over the course of the revolution due to the government blocking them. He had to use encryption, proxies, and virtual private networks to make his way around censors. It was also not uncommon for governments to try stealing protestor’s passwords.
There are various programs available to help people circumvent government regulations. Freegate, for instance, was developed by Dynamic Internet Technology to help people view blocked websites. It is currently the most popular “Network Tools” download on CNET.com, though it has mixed reviews.
How Important was Social Media?
There are some people, however, who contend that we are overestimating the importance of social media in these revolutions. Charles Trew of Ahram.org asserts that social media was not so important to the protestors themselves; it was instead the means by which we in the United States experienced the revolutions. It provided us instant news about what was happening and allowed us to come close to the people involved.
However, David Reich of SixEstate.com spoke with various Tunisians on the matter, and they believe that the revolution would not have been successful without the widespread communication that the Internet offers. It helped people organize, to make their grievances known, and allowed them to find out the truth in a world where the government controls the mainstream media. Fahd Bourogaa noted that, before Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest, numerous other people had died due to the government’s injustice. The difference in his case was the fact that everyone knew about it thanks to social media; the government could not suppress the news this time. According to The Guardian, Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has even said that the Internet provides inherent democracy to communication, which will forever change foreign policy.
Yet, we must remember that the revolution was not just carried out by people sitting in front of their computers tweeting. Numerous people put their lives on the line by protesting in the streets, making their grievances known to the government. Everyone played a part in toppling unjust regimes.
Ultimately, Facebook, Twitter, and other social websites are tools that can provide amusement, but they can also facilitate communication lines essential to political organization. Even in our own country, we should note that part of the reason why President Barack Obama is in the White House right now is the fact that he raised so many funds through Twitter and Facebook. And these websites can help countries out in ways that go beyond political revolutions. For instance, after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, people used social media to organize and to make their needs known, according to ParisTechReview.com. The Internet has proved to be an astoundingly versatile tool, one that will surely play a role in how countries evolve in coming years.
Bobby Miller originally wrote this article for the digital magazine Nvate in March of 2013. Due to its age, some of the information or links in the article may be outdated.