Egyptian government fears a Facebook revolution

Talk of banning Facebook is only the surface of a greater crackdown on independent media by an insecure government

An Egyptian supporter of Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei waits at Cairo international airport. Photograph: Khaled Desouki

Many Egyptians, in what is still a police state, regard Facebook as a safe haven where they can campaign and express their opinions freely. But that could soon change following a crackdown by the authorities against various types of media.

In Egypt, many opposition movements have either started or grown significantly on Facebook, most notably the April 6 youth movement and the national campaign to support Nobel peace prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei as a presidential candidate.

Understanding the impact Facebook now has on Egypt's political life, the Egyptian TV's most popular talk show, Masr ElNahrda (Egypt Today), suggested banning Facebook or passing a law to regulate Facebook activities in Egypt.
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