Disturbing drop in Shia Bahrain geo-tweeting

We have been tracking geo-tagged tweeting coming from Bahrain for some time. We are seeing a disturbing pattern of collapse in tweeting coming from most Shia areas this week. We fear this collapse is linked to the crack down being carried out in that nation.

Makurrah Deborah Esch

Must-read: @globalvoices A terrifying list of threats, arrests on journalists & bloggers in #Bahrain

Bahraini_Journalists

#feb14

Since the majority of the population is Shia this could be a disturbing effort by the regime to cut the protest movement from its only outside contact. It may also reflect growing fear among Shias in Bahrain who are now learning to use identity masking technology like Tor.

This earlier reading of tweeting from the Lulu protest shows just how much communication via twitter has vanished since the regime cracked down on Bahrain.