antonio anderson's List: Antonio Anderson egyptian revolution 2011

When hundreds of thousands of Egyptians flooded Tahrir Square in early 2011, it wasn’t the first time discontent had simmered in the region. But it was the first time an entirely new kind of uprising was about to boil over and ripple throughout the Middle East. During this period, I was able to see firsthand how technology—primarily social media—would play a role in shaping the events that were to follow.

The mass demonstrations that precipitated Hosni Mubarak’s fall from power were organized on Facebook groups. Demonstrators got the word out on Twitter, encouraging followers to hit the streets at predetermined times and locations. Eventually the government caught on, blocking access to Facebook and Twitter on Jan. 24, 2011, just as the crucial Day of Anger protest was building. But the censors forgot about HootSuite.