ABU DHABI // If you Googled the words "Twitter blackout" yesterday, the search engine returned more than 85 million hits. Evidence, surely, of global outrage and a backlash against the microblogging website by its army of users, or "tweeps".
Well, no. Or not, at least, in the UAE, where reaction to Twitter's new policy of country-specific censorship of content seemed to be bemusement that there hadn't been more of a reaction.
One mystified user tweeted: "Why is #TwitterCensored not trending in the UAE when we're all talking about it? Has the #censorship already begun?"
Twitter announced its change of policy last Thursday. "Starting today, we give ourselves the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country - while keeping it available in the rest of the world."
The company argues that, far from threatening freedom of speech, the new policy enhances it, since content that would once have been removed worldwide will now be taken down only in specific countries.
Nevertheless, protesters called for a global Twitter blackout on Saturday, using the hashtag #twitterblackout to announce that they would not be using Twitter the whole day.
Either they were in a minority, however, or the urge to tweet proved irresistible - even if only to give their opinions on Twitter's new censorship policy.
One of the region's leading tweeps, Sultan Al Qassemi, the Emirati columnist and commentator, described the new policy as "no big deal."
"People will just move on to new platforms," he said yesterday. "There are plenty of other platforms out there."
Mr Al Qassemi, who tweets as SultanAlQassemi, has more than 95,000 followers.
Some users took the opportunity to poke fun at the potential consequences of Twitter censorship. Sultan Saeed Darmaki tweeted: "@sultandarmaki **** ************ ** *** ** LOL #ProudToBeEmirati"
He added: "You need to wait three days for your tweets to be approved." and "Now people in UAE won't know if Kim Kardashian is coming to Dubai again."
When asked about his opinion of the new policy, Mr Al Darmaki said: "I don't have an overall opinion about it because it doesn't affect me in any way. It's just an opportunity for satire."
Nevertheless, some users called for solidarity with other Arab users who relied on Twitter in their countries to mobilise protests that helped to topple dictators and bring about change during the Arab Spring.
Hind Aleryani of Yemen, who joined the Twitter blackout for the sake of "freedom of speech", tweeted: "It's a shame to talk about censorship especially after the Arab spring."
Dr Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent Emirati professor of political science at United Arab Emirates University and an avid Twitter user with more than 8,000 followers, said he didn't think the new policy would have much effect.
"I don't feel it will change freedom of expression, it will target select topics and not affect the overall Twitter experience."
rghazal@thenational.ae
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Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
MATCH INFO
Hoffenheim v Liverpool
Uefa Champions League play-off, first leg
Location: Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim
Kick-off: Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)