Twitter blocked as protests sweep Egypt

Too risky to keep, claims government

Microblogging service Twitter found itself blocked by Egyptian authorities last night amidst fears that it could be used by anti-government protesters to help coordinate their activities.

The block, which a Twitter spokesperson confirmed was in place across the entire country of Egypt and affected access to both the Twitter website and third-party applications that use the company's API, was put in place by all data carriers in the country at the government's request.

With thousands gathering to protest against the rule of President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled the country since 1981, clashes were inevitable.  According to the reports that are getting out of the country, some protesters have been killed in confrontations with government forces, although the precise figure is not yet known.

With social networking services such as Facebook and Twitter thought to have played a key role in helping the protesters and rioters in Tunisia organise themselves, taking advantage of the real-time nature of the services to aid their fellows in avoiding government forces, it's no surprise that Egyptian authorities would look to block access.

The Egyptian approach to managing the situation has shades of the infamous 'Great Firewall of China' - blocking access to services and sites that the government finds inconvenient.

Speaking of the block, a Twitter spokesperson said: "We believe that the open exchange of information and views benefits societies and helps governments better connect with their people."

The service remains blocked across Egypt as we write.