Technology is neutral remember

There is an interesting piece in this morning's FT by John Gapper who looks at the role of technology in Iran following this week's events.

He writes that

The events in Iran tempt us to view digital technology as a purely liberating force. Rupert Murdoch upset China in 1993 when he asserted that “advances in the technology of telecommunications have proved an unambiguous threat to totalitarian regimes everywhere”, but that view is now accepted wisdom.

But a warning it can have the opposite effect

technology is neutral: the power it hands to citizens who twitter about their political activities could in future be used against them by governments. As they broadcast, they identify themselves as dissidents and leave digital fingerprints on networks.