#Twitter blocked in Egypt after political unrest

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Twitter blocked in Egypt after political unrest
By John Ribeiro
January 25, 2011 11:27 PM ET


IDG News Service - Twitter was blocked in Egypt on Tuesday as the country witnessed a large protest against the rule of President Hosni Mubarak.

"We can confirm that Twitter was blocked in Egypt around 8 a.m. PT today," Twitter said late Tuesday. "The block is impacting both Twitter.com and other applications," it added.

Protesters took to the streets in their thousands demanding an end to the rule of President Mubarak, who has ruled the country since 1981. At least three people were killed in the protests and fighting that took place, according to reports.

"We believe that the open exchange of information and views benefits societies and helps governments better connect with their people," Twitter added.

Herdict, a project of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, which tracks user views, had earlier reported that Twitter was down in Egypt following the civil unrest.

John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for The IDG News Service. Follow John on Twitter at @Johnribeiro. John's e-mail address is john_ribeiro@idg.com

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