With President Hosni Mubarak resigning from office due to pressure in the streets (as well as online), it looks like one social network is receiving praise from a Google Exec who has become a hero in the land of Egypt.
“First Tunisia, now Egypt,” began CNN host Wolf Blitzer. “What’s next?”
“Ask Facebook,” answered Wael Ghonim, an Egyptian activist and the head of marketing in the Middle East and North Africa for search giant Google. “I want to meet [Facebook founder] Mark Zuckerberg and thank him personally.”
“I’m talking on behalf of Egypt,” he continued. “This revolution started online. This revolution started on Facebook. This revolution started in June 2010 when hundreds of thousands of Egyptians started collaborating content. (Raw Story)
Despite his high profile within the Egyptian society, Wael Ghonim used his power and influence to counter what the Egyptian regime was doing instead of cowering in fear at the threat of being punished by the secret police (note: he was later on kidnapped but was released shortly thereafter).
Later on Ghonim goes on to explain that the best way to liberate a society is to give them the internet, which empowers people to organize themselves via social networks and counter government propaganda.
With Facebook being credited for helping organize the Egyptian revolution, we may see authoritarian governments take stronger measures against social networks in order to prevent something similar happening within their own borders.
