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Unrest is flaring in Egypt again this week, as new President Mohamed Morsi moves to expand his

authority and assert more control over the country. Protesters concerned over the power grab again

staged sit-ins in Cairos Tahrir Square, andnot surprisinglysocial media channels areonce more

serving as critical organizational tools.

As this scene plays out again in Cairo, Im reminded of the small but significant role social media played

during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, when the country finally threw off the yoke of decades of

dictatorial government.

I became involved in social media in part because I believe its a truly revolutionary form of

communication that can change society. Events like these make me realize what a powerful and

disruptive force weve unleashed.

When hundreds of thousands of Egyptians flooded Tahrir Square in early 2011, it wasnt the first time

discontent had simmered in the region. But it was the first time an entirely new kind of uprising was

about to boil over and ripple throughout the Middle East. During this period, I was able to see firsthand

how technologyprimarily social mediawould play a role inshaping the events that were to follow.

The mass demonstrations that precipitated Hosni Mubaraks fall frompower wereorganized on

Facebook groups.Demonstrators got the word out on Twitter, encouraging followers to hit the streets

at predetermined times and locations. Eventually the government caught on, blocking access to

Facebook and Twitter on Jan. 24, 2011, just as thecrucial Day of Anger protestwas building. But the

censors forgot about HootSuite.

Our tech team began noticing a huge spike in sign-ups from Egypt that same day, as Egyptian users

tapped HootSuite to circumvent the government ban on accessing Facebook and Twitter directly. We

saw people using our dashboard to organize protests, share curfew info, reach outside media and

monitor the status of family and friends.

One woman, whom I never met and know only from one tweet sent through HootSuite was named

Sonia Verma. Reporting from right in the heart of Tahrir Squarewhere protests hadsuddenly turned

bloodyshe tweeted: They are ripping up banners to use as bandages #Egypt. In fewer than 140

characters, she said volumesand her message potentially reached and moved millions. Thats the

power of social media.

In the end, we experienced a 7,000% surge in sign-ups from Egypt, before authorities shut down the

Internet completely a few days later. Maybe we helped one or two protesters keep the faith during a

dark hour. I hope so.

It was an amazing event, and we were able to see a whole amount of data that no one else wasable to. In the aftermath, wecreated an infographicthat we shared with the world. We were

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approached by the U.S. State Department and the National Geographic Society, and we were

happy to help out.

(Seefull infographic here.)

Social media is a significant force in ways that are far more profound than many realize.Twitter, Facebook and other networks are disrupting things on levels were just starting to

understand. All of this is changing us personally,professionallyand ultimately, at a societal

level. This is why social media really matters

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