Banning Facebook will not work
It has become part of the activist agenda as protests in the Arab world have shown
If there was ever any doubt over the extent to which we are all connected, look no further than the latest report from the Dubai School of Government on social media in the Arab world.
The report, the details of which are contained in a Gulf News report on Page 10, highlights the extent to which Facebook has become part of the political and activist agenda as much as it has a means to keep in touch with friends and family around the world.
The report highlights, for example, that despite authorities' efforts to clamp down on Facebook in corners of the Arab world, technologically savvy youth are finding ways to bypass filters and overt censorship. In essence, trying to block the site simply gives impetus to challenge ways to gain access.
The production of the report is timely, given recent events in Tunisia and Egypt. During the first two weeks of the political crisis in Tunis, for example, Tunisian activity on Facebook increased by 8 per cent.
In Egypt, with the internet effectively switched off, protests grew regardless.
The lesson for all is that Facebook is here to stay. Better to live with it than try to ban it.
