Facebook defines itself on its homepage as “a social utility that connects you with the people around you”. There is evidence that users in many Arab countries do not think their governments share the same goal.

Patrick Meier points Smartmobs to this blog posting on Sacred Facts reporting on an analysis from BBC Monitoring by Richard Sambrook of Facebook, Politics and the Middle East. Patrick writes: In some Middle Eastern countries where governments’ grip on the media is tight Facebook is not only a “network for friends” but has acquired social and political significance.

Syria has taken the lead in blocking the website. Users in Gulf countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia are worried that their authorities could follow suit. In other Middle Eastern societies with a tradition of a free but fragmented media, like Lebanon, Facebook has been turned into a political platform by supporters of rival parties.

In Lebanon, Facebook has been used as a platform for propaganda and political bickering by supporters of rival political groups. While one group thanks former Lebanese President Emile Lahhud, another discusses how Lebanon misses assassinated leader Rafiq al-Hariri.

Facebook defines itself on its homepage as “a social utility that connects you with the people around you”. There is evidence that users in many Arab countries do not think their governments share the same goal.
Patrick Meier points Smartmobs to this blog posting on Sacred Facts reporting on an analysis from BBC Monitoring by [...]