On January 27, 2011, at 00h34 local time, approximately 3 500 Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routes to Egyptian networks were withdrawn. By lifting this ‘drawbridge’, virtually all of Egypt’s internet addresses became unreachable, worldwide. The event sent shockwaves through the World Wide Web. The lesson: it’s that easy.

‘Twitter Revolutions’ are real. International leaders have had to recognise the potential of new media as a powerful tool for public debate. Egypt’s blackout was a response to the power of new media.