Turkey’s Twitter Ban and Social Media Demonization as a Strategy

I wrote about why it doesn’t work–The day the Turkish government banned itself from Twitter.

But here’s what I do know. The president of Turkey had to circumvent a court order to tweet, and tens of thousands of citizens were right there to talk with him, give him support, chide him for his previous acts, and to generally comment. Twitter may be banned in Turkey legally, but in reality, the only thing that the government has managed to do is ban its own supporters from Twitter… (read more here)

I also wrote about why it doesn’t matter that many people will circumvent: Why everyone is getting Turkey’s Twitter ban wrong. (The point is to demonize social media, not any false belief that it is possible to totally kill information).

During the rally, Erdogan also talked about the threat social media, including Facebook and YouTube, poses to family values. He talked about its disruption of privacy, and how these foreign companies do not obey Turkish court orders but obey US and European courts.

In other words, Erdogan’s strategy is to demonize social media.

It is a strategy of placing social media outside the sacred sphere, as a disruption of family, as a threat to unity, as an outside blade tearing at the fabric of society. (read more here)

 

4 thoughts on “Turkey’s Twitter Ban and Social Media Demonization as a Strategy

  1. Mehmet Cirak

    Great posts, especially “Everyone is Getting Turkey’s Twitter Block Wrong”. Exactly depicting my thoughts…

    I will share your blog with family and friends. Keep thinking and writing 🙂

    BTW, I live in Durham, hope to bump into you one day…

    Reply
  2. Judy Schalock

    Really care about the issue. Thanks for the heads up and glad to know that Berkman is paying attention.

    Reply
  3. Felsefe

    It’s hard to believe. Erdogan needed freedom and free thought against secular elite. But now he prohibits it. Twitter policy is one reason, we should say. They just don’t care what Turkish courts say. They removed thousands of profiles from USA and Europe but now one from the rest of the world. Is it being used by politicians? Why wouldn’t they remove a pornographic- blackmailing profile?

    Reply

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