State Department comments on 'talks' with Twitter

A State Department press briefing gives some insight into why the U.S. government requested that Twitter postpone a scheduled downtime during a crucial period in the post-election upheaval in Iran.

"I think, as I was following this, these developments over the weekend...I began to recognize the importance of new social media as a vital tool for citizens' empowerment and as a way for people to get their messages out," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Tuesday, according to a transcript of the department's daily press briefing (which was not held specifically to address the Twitter question). "And it was very clear to me that these kinds of social media played a very important role in democracy, spreading the word about what was going on."

CNN reported Tuesday that the State Department had been behind the decision by Twitter and its hosting provider to reschedule the downtime for an hour when it would be the middle of the night in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

Kelly was then asked to comment on "discussions that (the State Department is) having with networking sites about maintaining the technology, about how the State Department as an institution is monitoring these type of sites to gain information about what's going on."

His response: "We're monitoring many different media, including some of these sites. And we've had, of course, talks with Twitter as well...I don't want to go into the detail of the nature of those talks right now."

Another reporter then pointed out that "by not providing any information on the nature of the talks, it indicates that you have some role in kind of providing messages to Twitter, messages to Iranians."

Kelly denied this. He said he was not sure who exactly within the State Department had been in touch with Twitter and added that "we use a number of social media outlets, and we're in constant contact with them. And as I said before, we were, of course, monitoring the situation through a number of different media, including social media networks like Facebook and Twitter...this is about the Iranian people. This is about giving their voices a chance to be heard. One of the ways that their voices are heard are through new media."

With the Iranian government clamping down on foreign journalists, Kelly has a point: access to Twitter and ilk are crucial sources of information.

Social media tools like Twitter and Facebook have already emerged as sources of raw news in disasters and political crises before--from the Hudson River emergency plane landing to the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. But this is the first time they've been highlighted as vital information channels in Iran--both for protesters trying to spread information and for government authorities trying to gather it.

[Len Bullard]

Which means Twitter and Facebook are now players and not civilians in this conflict among major powers. Be careful about trying to sell technologies based on the role they play in such affairs. It's no place for amateurs.

[Harrison912]

I mainly use Twitter for socially marketing my safety and security web site as do many other business owners. It's exciting, however, to see this platform used for a much more historic purpose. It's quickly becoming not just a social site but a real time news reporting site. How great is that?!

[NWLB]

You should Google ISCABBS, that is a fine backwater of the internet, dating back to the late 1980s, now kept running by U of Iowa alumni. It is so arcane it falls below the radar of most people. I recall chatting with people in Russia during two different coups attempts, getting a guy at JPL to talk about ongoing earthquakes, learned about Princess Di being killed, all from a tiny little nook that is only used by people in their mid-30s who know how to telnet.

[JenniferB2]

The Pirate Bay has now changed their own startpage to say :

The Persian Bay.
Click here to help Iran!

They are offering a service targeting Iranian to be able to communicate through unstoppable domains using new technology. The site has already gain momentum and many Iranians are inserting messages about demonstrations, times and locations.

Check the site out.
http://thepiratebay.com
or
http://thepersianbay.com

This is your gateway to free communication since the Iranian Government has blocked all other ways of communication! If you are in Iran, this is the place for you!!

[erichlue]

Was wondering when News.com would start covering this story. The networks have been all over the importance of the Internet and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to the opposition's ability to communicate and organize events.

Now that international journalists have been banned from covering opposition rallies on the street, social networking sites have become all the more important to get the news out.

[gmhendo]

Apparently we have not learned to stay out of other countries business yet. On one hand Obama is trying to start a dialogue, and then the State Dept. pulls the Twitter request.

The history of US intervention is not a pretty one, leave this one alone huh? Lets fix our own free world issues before anything else.

[royc]

leave this one alone
________________________

Where are you, Iran? And a card carrying member of those trying to suppress the people?

[normmacder]

I believe that the Pres. is correct in his staying out of their (Iran's) business.