As Twitchy reported yesterday, Syria is experiencing a nationwide Internet blackout as fighting intensifies in the region.
When Egypt was cut off from the Internet in 2011, Google and Twitter partnered to launch the Speak2Tweet service to give those without online connections the ability to tweet. The service still exists, and Google is hoping it will be useful to Syrians who can’t access Twitter during the blackout.
.@speak2tweet available to help more people communicate if they have working phone connection http://t.co/GF6MhG2f #SyriaBlackout
— Google (@Google) November 30, 2012
.@EmanHAly Yes. We worked with Google to introduce @speak2tweet in early 2011, and it is still available. http://t.co/D4AT7pxz
— TwitterGov (@TwitterGov) November 29, 2012
The problem with Speak2Tweet is that they've also been cutting off land and mobile lines.
— Mario Ramirez Reyes. (@ramirezreyes) November 30, 2012
While many Syrians have only sporadic access to landline and mobile phone service, Google and Twitter are ensuring that when phone connections are working, they can get their messages out to the Twitterverse.
No Internet connection is required, and people can listen to the messages by dialing the same phone numbers or going to twitter.com/speak2tweet.
Call +902123391447 or +302111982716 or +390662207294 or +16504194196 to use @speak2tweet. #SyriaBlackout http://t.co/GF6MhG2f
— Google (@Google) November 30, 2012
Amazing. No internet in #Syria so twitter set up a call nb 2 leave a message which will get tweeted: https://t.co/x9UGjlHP v @michaeldweiss
— Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) November 30, 2012
Information flows like water. It will find it's way around barriers. We can hear you now, #Syria @speak2tweet.
— Katie Jacobs Stanton (@KatieS) November 30, 2012
Friends in #Syria, the Internet may be shut down, but we can hear you. Leave a tweet message here @speak2tweet cc @stevecrossan
— Katie Jacobs Stanton (@KatieS) November 29, 2012
As this Twitter user points out, it’s impossible to tell what country each message is coming from. But in a chilling message he retweeted, the caller says, “I don’t know what to say, but we need help. We need help.”
Hard to know if this message is actually from Syria, but if so, it's sobering. RT @speak2tweet voice-to-tweet : http://t.co/3lAKQbSl
— Jeremy Cluchey is 6ft away ?? (@jeremycluchey) November 30, 2012
A great suggestion from Wall Street Journal technology editor Scott Austin:
I wish @Speak2Tweet would show which countries the messages are coming from. They could be from anywhere.
— Scott Austin (@ScottMAustin) November 30, 2012
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