Facebook Leaves the Contested Golan Heights Region Up for Grabs
In response to the latest in a series of recent geopolitical controversies, Facebook has announced that members living in the Golan Heights, a politically contested region nestled between Israel and Syria, will now have a choice of defining their geographical network as either Syria or Israel. Until now, users belonging to the Katzrin (Qasrin) network were defined, per Facebook cartography, as living in Syria. After more than 2,600 users formed a group titled "Facebook, Golan residents live in Israel, not Syria," Facebook accommodated their petition with their rendition of a "two-state" solution. With its growing legion of users, Facebook has lately been forced to walk over the coals of several controversies, encompassing not only questions of politico-cultural identity, but free speech, as well. The Web site, for example, has already implemented a similarly dualistic approach to its nomenclature for The West Bank. Facebook's free-speech policy, like the social network itself, seems to be in a constant state of evolution, as the company attempts to pinpoint the moving target that is the line between free and hateful speech. Groups of Holocaust deniers were allowed to remain in existence, while several European neo-Nazi groups deemed dangerously incendiary were banned.
Though the site continues to tweak its policies, any changes that enhance user autonomy can only bring about positive developments. Fortunately, it appears that Facebook acknowledges that its domain is effectively limited to the point where "social" ends, and border-drawing begins. A more pluralist Facebook is a better, richer Facebook; by providing its users more control over their own geo-cyber identities, the networking site is expanding its role beyond the scope of photo tags, and maturing into its role as a forum for dialogue and debate. Even more encouraging, perhaps, is that Facebook (as it proved a few months ago in response to outcry over its privacy policies) seems to genuinely care about, and respond to, user concerns -- a "bottom-up" approach that can strengthen user confidence, and quell any residual Orwellian fears.
Controversy, of course, is certain to continue, and probably escalate, especially as Facebook extends its membership to more politically and economically tumultuous corners of the globe. Despite the inevitable backlash and nationalistic passions that will be stirred (Syria may already order a retaliatory boycott of the Web site, Al Bawaba reports.), this evenhanded approach to nurturing political discourse will ultimately deepen Facebook's surging social value. [From: DigitalBeat]
_thumbnail.jpg "Vintage Keyboards")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
PookieBadMuffin said 11:45AM on 9-18-2009
To the victor go the spoils...
Reply