Google and Twitter have launched a speak-to-tweet service to get around the ban on internet services in Egypt. The voice tweet system, created by Google and SayNow, has gone live.
The tweet by phone service will allows Egyptians to post messages without needing to use an internet connection by dialling an international telephone number and leave a voicemail message.
The message is then sent out as a tweet with the hashtag #egypt.
You can listen to messages by dialling the same phone numbers as are used to post them (+16504194196, +390662207294, +97316199855) or reading them on Twitter.
The Egyptian authorities have suspended internet services around the country and phone text messaging has been disabled, dealing a massive blow to demonstrators for whom Twitter and Facebook have been vital during recent protests.
Egypt “march of a millon” begins
Twitter and Facebook blocked in Egypt
Google and its newly acquired voice technology company SayNow worked with Twitter over the weekend to set up the voice tweet service.
“Like many people we’ve been glued to the news unfolding in Egypt and thinking of what we could do to help people on the ground,” SayNow co-founder Ujjwal Singh wrote on the official Google blog.
“We hope this will go some way to helping people in Egypt stay connected at this very difficult time.”
A source said that Google was not taking sides in the crisis in Egypt, but was simply supporting access to information.
Many speak-to-tweet messages have already appeared on Twitter. One message from an English speaker said:
“The government is spreading rumours of fear and of burglary and of violence. The only incidence of theft and burglary are done by the police themselves.”
Keep your eyes on voice tweets at #egypt today as Egyptians rally for the “march of a million” in Cairo.
