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Blocking Facebook and Corporate Regime Change

I write about strategies to turn fans into customers and customers into fans. I also share ways to use real-time strategies to spread ideas, influence minds, and build business.

Social Media  |  Case Studies  |  Facebook

I'm wondering when will companies that block employee access to social networks go through the same sort of revolution as Egypt?

I think it will be soon. These companies are ripe for uprising.

Wael Ghonim I was fascinated by Sunday's 60 Minutes piece on Wael Ghonim, Google's regional marketing manager for the Middle East. He talked about how Egyptian people came together via Facebook.

Watch the interview with Wael Ghonim and Egypt's New Age Revolution.

Here's a Ghonim quote that interested me the most:
"One of the strategic mistakes of [the Mubarak] regime was blocking Facebook. One of the reasons why they are no longer in power now is that they blocked Facebook. Why? Because they have told four million people that they are scared like hell from the revolution."

Does this apply at your company?

Of course, I do understand that countries and companies are different. There is no doubt that when life and death are involved, the matters of a country are infinitely more important than a mere company.

Yet, to backwards CEOs I would say: I hope you've got some money squirreled away like Mubarak apparently does. Because at some point, you're going to get run out of town.

If you work under an authoritarian regime, please share this (perhaps anonymously) with the HR people. Better yet, send it to the CEO.

I wrote more on this topic in an article published yesterday by the Huffington Post.