LinkedIn blocks Syrian users

Per Global Voices Online, social networking site LinkedIn has recently banned users from Syria from utilizing its service. The Syrian government itself blocks use of Facebook, YouTube, and Skype within its borders, though this move apparently was made by LinkedIn itself.

According to AnasOnline (Arabic blog), a LinkedIn Customer Support representative responded to an inquiry about the change by saying "as a matter of corporate policy, we do not allow member accounts or access to our site from Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria."

Twitter users in the Middle East are buzzing about the policy change, using hashtags like #LinkedIn, #Syria, and #boycottlinkedin.

1. 
   AnarchistQueer (Damascus, Syria) RT @jilliancyork BOYCOTT LINKEDIN for refusing to provide services to Syrians (and other folks in sanctioned countries) #boycottlinkedin 18 Apr 2009 from Seesmic Desktop
2. 
   anasqtiesh (Damascus, Syria) let @LinkedIn know the error of their ways: @linkedin.com">ssaha@linkedin.com (Product Manager). @linkedin.com">rhoffman@linkedin.com (founder & CEO) #boycottlinkedin 18 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck
3. 
   Okbah (Saudi Arabia) @anasqtiesh How many guys can make this difference! these can't pose threat upon #linkedin and it will continue to provide services to 39m p 18 Apr 2009 from web in reply to anasqtiesh
4. 
   ahmednaguib (Cairo, Egypt) Weird things today, Linkedin blocks Syrian users, and Tinyurl blocks Saudi Arabians...what's up with that? 17 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck
5. 
   MhdBadi (Amman, Jordan) @ahmednaguib This is really bad.. Facebook+wikipedia+linkedin+ 1 2 3 .. are blocked front of Syrian users 17 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck in reply to ahmednaguib
6. 
   alexzawya (Beirut, Lebanon) you over there at linkedin.......unblock syria. 17 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck

@Riyadh of Hamburg, Germany, posted an alternative for those in Syria: "Try http://salambc.com - it's Arabic & we don't ban!"

Update: LinkedIn Senior Director of Corporate Communications Kay Luo (@kluo) says the accounts were blocked by human error, and LinkedIn is working to return service to Syrian users.

LinkedIn blocks Syrian users