Twitter tweets up for freedom of speech

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SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Twitter co-founder Biz Stone did not mention the Internet blackout in Egypt, but said "freedom of expression is essential" in a recent online posting.

"Our goal is to instantly connect people everywhere to what is most meaningful to them. For this to happen, freedom of expression is essential," Stone wrote in a posting titled "The Tweets Must Flow," the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

Egyptian President Hosni Mobarak ordered the Internet blackout for most of the country in the wake of riots that rocked the government and led to his announcement that he would replace his entire Cabinet.

Twitter suffered a similar fate during unrest in Tunisia that led to a change in government there.

In his posting, Stone wrote, "Some tweets may facilitate positive change in a repressed country, some make us laugh, some make us think, some downright anger a vast majority of users. The open exchange of information can have a positive global impact. This is both a practical and ethical belief."