A TOOL FOR SPIES
When Iran’s opposition protesters used Twitter
and other forms of social media last year to let the
world know about their regime’s brutal post election
crackdown, activists praised Twitter as the tool of
revolution and freedom. But now Venezuelan President
Hugo Chávez has figured out how to twist this
tool into one of repression. Though as recently as
this past January Chávez was decrying Twitter as a
weapon of terrorists, he’s since turned into an avid
Twitterer himself ( his account, the country’s most
popular, boasted more than half a million followers
at press time ), as well as a devoted Facebook user
and blogger.
Far from embracing the democratic spirit of
the Web, though, the Venezuelan strongman is
using his accounts and blog to exhort people to spy
on each other. At the launch of his Twitter account,
Chávez enjoined the Boliviarian faithful to use it to
keep an eye on state enemies, namely the wealthy.
My Twitter account is open for you to denounce
them, “ Chávez announced on his television program.
El Presidente has hired a staff of 200 to deal
with tweeted “requests, denunciations, and other
problems,” which have resulted in actions against
allegedly credit-stingy banks and currency speculators.
He’s now considering going a step further and
ruling that all Venezuelan Web sites must move
from U.S.- based servers to domestic ones - which
would, of course, make them far easier to control.
Big Brother would be proud.
(Newsweek – June 14, 2010.
By Mac Margolis and Alex Marin)
De acordo com o texto, em janeiro deste ano, Hugo
Chávez
