I get the feeling that governments really, really want to see mass protests and rebellions worldwide over the access to Youtube and Facebook. Why they can't see that touching the Internet will not end well for anyone?
EDIT
It was a bit of a hyperbole on my part, and I wasn't thinking about Arab Spring - more about recent anti-ACTA protests in Europe. And while it is true that revolutions in Egypt, etc. were not about the Internet access, we (aka. the so caled 'first world') noticed them only after those governments started blocking the Internet in their countries.
Countries with oppresive regimes have lots of reasons for people to protest about; I'm more worried about our 'democratic part' of US and Europe, where tensions are building up on topics of freedom, and especially freedom of the Internet. Just a small example - recent takedown of Megaupload has annoyed lots of normal (non-IT) people in my country, as Megavideo was really, really popular way to watch TV series here. General sentiments are not looking good. I wouldn't be surprised to see more Internet-freedom-related protests in the future; especially that anti-ACTA protests in Poland seem to have been quite influential in the EU politics on the topic. And as people get more daring, there's a short way from protests to riots.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I got the impression that the Americans are worried that the US is turning into a fascist state. I don't see how governments poking around the Internet is going to help to alleviate those worries.
From my perspective here in the US the Arab Spring was more about rising food prices and a lack of opportunity. Will that trend extrapolate here to America? I think it is very possible since we are starting to see gas prices creeping up.
AS far as fascism goes - the US was set up to be a representative democracy. You do not have direct control over policies but you elect people who do. On a state level the government can react much more quickly to popular opinion and is held responsible. On the federal level, there is a risk of power being out of touch with the need for Progress.
Governments want control over Youtube, Facebook etc. in order to prevent these kinds of uprisings.
People weren't rioting over access to Youtube and Facebook, but access to them did fuel the riots and help coordinate them (hence they were shut down).
EDIT
It was a bit of a hyperbole on my part, and I wasn't thinking about Arab Spring - more about recent anti-ACTA protests in Europe. And while it is true that revolutions in Egypt, etc. were not about the Internet access, we (aka. the so caled 'first world') noticed them only after those governments started blocking the Internet in their countries.
Countries with oppresive regimes have lots of reasons for people to protest about; I'm more worried about our 'democratic part' of US and Europe, where tensions are building up on topics of freedom, and especially freedom of the Internet. Just a small example - recent takedown of Megaupload has annoyed lots of normal (non-IT) people in my country, as Megavideo was really, really popular way to watch TV series here. General sentiments are not looking good. I wouldn't be surprised to see more Internet-freedom-related protests in the future; especially that anti-ACTA protests in Poland seem to have been quite influential in the EU politics on the topic. And as people get more daring, there's a short way from protests to riots.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I got the impression that the Americans are worried that the US is turning into a fascist state. I don't see how governments poking around the Internet is going to help to alleviate those worries.