Twitters decision to start censoring tweets at the request of repressive governments represents a regrettable retreat from the free-flowing ethos that has made it such an essential social networking site.
Our preference, in 140 characters or fewer, would have been for Twitter to just say no to censorship.
Instead, Twitter is trying to make a good-faith effort to uphold the values of transparency and free speech while complying with the laws of countries that have no respect for either.
Its a difficult balancing act, to say the least. Some might call it a fools errand.
Heres how the new Twitter policy will work:
It will block tweets deemed to be illegal by a government only when requested and only after the content is posted. The tweet will be withheld only in that country, and it will be replaced with a gray box indicating tweet withheld. The message will be available in the rest of the world. Disclosure about government-blocked tweets will be available for the world to see at the website ChillingEffects.org.
The policy has set off a torrent of criticism from users who regard such deference to government authority as undercutting its power as a weapon of democracy. Social networking was widely credited with helping mobilize and embolden the Arab Spring uprisings against repressive regimes.
It was a bit distressing, though not surprising, that Twitters move has drawn praise in the Chinese and Thai press.
Despite its anything-goes image, Twitter all along has been removing content that violate copyright or child pornography laws when it gets complaints.
But there is something qualitatively different about having an enterprise that was founded on the principle of free expression bowing to any governments demand to suppress what should be the most basic right of any citizen to speak his or her mind.
