“Mobile phone networks have reportedly been disrupted, leaving millions without access to text messaging or phone calls,” Olson reports. “The country’s key Internet Service Providers are also off the air, says James Cowie, the chief technology officer of Internet monitoring firm Renesys on his blog. ‘Virtually all of Egypt’s Internet addresses are now unreachable, worldwide.'”
Olson reports, “Activists have taken to Twitter to report on the situation while the local dialup network NOOR appears to still be online. One tweet that has been doing the rounds recommends that locals who have NOOR access or a working Wifi router remove their passwords in order to share access with neighbors.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This ought to make thinking, freedom-loving people very wary of granting any government the power of an “Internet kill switch.” This is a clarion reminder that things that one day might sound prudent and rational to some can sound completely misguided and crazy the next. You never know who will gain power or how they’ll abuse it until it’s too late.
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. – Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers too numerous to mention individually for the heads up.]
“That is because he is one of them and not a true American.”
I hope that’s a joke. How long has your family been here? Twenty years? Maybe the flyspeck of time of a hundred? Unless your name is Running Bull or Flys with Eagles, you are not a true American.
the double standard of the US with regards to human right and freedom of speech. when iran blocked twiter the US media made so much drama, here’s a US “friend” cutting off the internet for the entire country, where are the threats and the world condemnations? hypocrites, hypocrites hypocrites.
@Seamus,
Your Native American friends only got here 5 to 6000 years ago from Asia.
Immigrants, all of us are immigrants. Ask your favorite Anthropologist.
@macromancer
I have to agree with u about the R and D thing the privacy things from “the last administration ” had sunset clauses and the Barry administration chose to make them permanent.
Egypt and the rest of the Middle East may be on the brink of an upheaval that will have profound consequences for all the world, including the U.S. Yet, during yesterday’s prime-time Anderson Cooper 360 newcast on CNN, sit-in anchor Soledad O’Brien spent the first 20 minutes of the program making fun of Sarah Palin’s reaction to Barack Obama’s Sputnik comment, and the next 10 minutes or so dissing another Republican’s comments about Obama. Little wonder that so many Americans know next to nothing about how the rest of the world works. I realize that the program was on CNN’s domestic service, but surely what is happening in Egypt is more important than leading off with a lengthy “ha ha” fest about Sarah Palin’s latest pronouncements.
These dictatorships need to cease. Democracy is a much better system. Of course, that would mean a greedy government would have to step down and give up any claims to power…
I suppose it takes a revolution 🙁
@MDN Take: I agree. No government power should hold an internet kill switch.
This ought to make thinking, freedom-loving people very wary of granting any government the power of an “Internet kill switch.” This is a clarion reminder that things that one day might sound prudent and rational to some can sound completely misguided and crazy the next. You never know who will gain power or how they’ll abuse it until it’s too late.
It’s worth remembering the same “freedom-loving” entity that wrote this statement didn’t say “boo” after learning the DOJ under George Bush suggested “relaxing” the First and Fourth Amendments.
“The bill would allow the President to enact “emergency measures” in the case of a large-scale cyber attack. In its original form, the bill granted the President authority to shut down part of the Internet for an indefinite time. A later version of the bill reduced that time to 120 days, unless Congress approves an extension.”
With or without cyber attack, Can anyone imagine our economy or our daily lives without Internet acces for 120 days??? Or an extension to 120?? That is just ridiculous! And very unrealistic even if it is only part of the Internet that’s killed.
Even for one day!!! Just think of all the online retailers or business processes that take place over the Internet.
It’s not whether there is an Internet kill switch or not, but rather what it is used for. I repeat…. What’s the Internet kill switch used for.
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Fail to support the 2nd Amendment at your own peril.
@Seamus
Check it out little dude. I never said anything about how long anybodys family has been on US soil. My statement was ment too say that he is just another political figure in it for himself. The US government is fscked up and has been far to long, this is not about (R) or (D) this is about selfish political figures in it for personal gain rather than for the American people. GREED is what is killing the USA. So if you want to make a comment on any post try to figure out what the post actualy says.
This is the future!
A country with 25+% population growth per year cannot grow at the speed of Apple everywhere – in schools roads food. The Uni educated don’t have jobs relevant to their qualifications.
Its the old PC story – race to the bottom in price value lifestyle.
And as you can see its not pretty!
This is why cloud computing is just an illusion. It would be foolish to have critical data become unavailable because of political actions.
@Seamus I am a true North American as I am part first nation.
I’ve read that Egypt only hav 4 ISP’s so it shouldn’t be to hard to switch of connection.
As somebody else commented on this issue. What’s happening in Egypt could have very broad impact to the world.
If Tunisia and perhaps Egypt turns to democracies, Israel can’t claim being the only democracy in the middle East and they may become more isolated than they already is. I bet they don’t like.
Who and what will reign in both Tunisia and Egypt we don’t know. But I’m pretty sure we won’t see fundamentalists taking control. The demonstrators on the streets are mainly young people feed up with being unemployed having nothing to loose.
What’s makes me ashamed is how our western governments are lukewarm compared to Iran 1,5 year ago because it was the same people out on the streets fighting for the same rights then.