Comments on: Will The Revolution Be Twitterized? http://www.exportlawblog.com/archives/521 Latest News on DDTC, BIS, OFAC, and other export law matters Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:06:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Ex-OFAC http://www.exportlawblog.com/archives/521/comment-page-1#comment-32587 Ex-OFAC Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:30:57 +0000 http://www.exportlawblog.com/?p=521#comment-32587 Excellent points, Clif. The Berman Amendments to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), authority for OFAC's Iranian Transactions Regulations, seem not well served by the interpretations you post. Berman says specifically that newswire feeds are exempt from direct or indirect presidential regulation under sanctions. OFAC appears to say "Fine, but you can't use telecommunications to receive or send the feed from or to Iran without a license." In past periods, OFAC put out advice that all telephone calls constituted information, and were exempt (except where Congress regulated telephone payments to Cuba). This seems to have silently gone by the boards. High time for a fresh Obama Administration review of policy. Excellent points, Clif. The Berman Amendments to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), authority for OFAC’s Iranian Transactions Regulations, seem not well served by the interpretations you post. Berman says specifically that newswire feeds are exempt from direct or indirect presidential regulation under sanctions. OFAC appears to say “Fine, but you can’t use telecommunications to receive or send the feed from or to Iran without a license.” In past periods, OFAC put out advice that all telephone calls constituted information, and were exempt (except where Congress regulated telephone payments to Cuba). This seems to have silently gone by the boards. High time for a fresh Obama Administration review of policy.

]]> By: Erich C. Ferrari http://www.exportlawblog.com/archives/521/comment-page-1#comment-32061 Erich C. Ferrari Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:27:55 +0000 http://www.exportlawblog.com/?p=521#comment-32061 Clif, I have spent the past week or so glued to Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube to get real news from the ground in Iran. I'm half persian and have a lot of Iranian friends and family who are either over there right now or have been keeping a close eye on the things going on. It's amazing the amount of information that is being shared between Iranians world wide using these social media platforms. My friend feed on Facebook is literally nothing but postings from my friends of video from the protests or messages from people inside of Iran. If it leads to the overthrow of the Islamic Republic (doubtful) it will truly be the first Internet Revolution. Also, FYI, I have heard from a number of sources that a few intelligence agencies, as well as DoD, have researched how to use Twitter and other social media platforms to moblize social movements. Really interesting stuff. Good post. Clif,

I have spent the past week or so glued to Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube to get real news from the ground in Iran. I’m half persian and have a lot of Iranian friends and family who are either over there right now or have been keeping a close eye on the things going on. It’s amazing the amount of information that is being shared between Iranians world wide using these social media platforms. My friend feed on Facebook is literally nothing but postings from my friends of video from the protests or messages from people inside of Iran. If it leads to the overthrow of the Islamic Republic (doubtful) it will truly be the first Internet Revolution.

Also, FYI, I have heard from a number of sources that a few intelligence agencies, as well as DoD, have researched how to use Twitter and other social media platforms to moblize social movements. Really interesting stuff.

Good post.

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