Western media observers have been alarmed by the series of Russian laws passed that give the Kremlin an increased ability to police the Internet. For liberal Russians, and bloggers in particular, the newest limitations are just the latest part of a disturbing trend of new restrictions on Internet media that, not coincidentally, began when Vladimir Putin retook the presidency in 2012.

Militants have unleashed a hi-tech social media jihad to radicalise and recruit educated youth for terror activities in the strife torn Jammu and Kashmir.  A highly confidential letter of Jammu and Kashmir police accessed by dna reveals that militant and fundamentalist elements are recruiting and radicalizing the youth thorough different means including the social media.

In the case of the Nigerian girls, they may eventually be rescued. But if they are, it won't be the result of hashtag diplomacy; rather, it will be due to strong and serious diplomacy conducted by brave men and women willing to confront evil head-on.

When it was announced last week that American doctor Kent Brantly who was stricken with the deadly Ebola virus while in Liberia was to be brought back to the United States for treatment, social media in the US was abuzz with fearful reactions. 

Social media has transformed the way people receive and share information in both personal and business settings.  Most importantly, businesses in the Middle East should always ensure that their use of social media is tailored to the specific cultural and demographic characteristics of the region.

Today we take for granted that information warfare — whether the disruption of other nations’ computer systems, the monitoring of citizens’ telephone calls to detect terrorist threats or the use of social media to shape foreign attitudes — is a key tool of national security. But virtually all our concerns about such tactics find their roots in the Great War, particularly in its first hours, when the Alert’s hatchet-wielding crew began its work.

Maysoon Khatib's Facebook page is usually devoted to fun-filled images and anecdotes detailing her sometimes harried life as a mother of four children.  But lately, the Kentucky woman's social media posts have taken a somber turn. Instead of snapshots of her kids at summer camp, Khatib is sharing urgent messages about the destruction thousands of miles away in Gaza.