By Jillian C. York on MediaShift, April 11 –
“In its six years of existence, Twitter has staked out a position as the most free speech-friendly social network. Its utility in the uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa is unmatched, its usage by activists and journalists alike to spread news and galvanize the public unprecedented.
As Twitter CEO Dick Costolo recently boasted at the Guardian Changing Media Summit, Twitter is “the free speech wing of the free speech party.”
But at the same time, some governments — in both not-so-democratic and democratic societies — have not taken such a positive view of Twitter and freedom of expression. Instead, they’ve threatened, arrested and prosecuted their citizens for what they express in 140 characters or less.”