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Egyptian names baby 'Facebook'

Egyptian newspaper reports that Jamal Ibrahim chose name to "express his gratitude about the victories the youth of 25 January have achieved."

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
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Richard Trenholm

It's a charming reminder that new life grows even after the hardest times. An Egyptian baby has been named "Facebook" to celebrate the importance of the Web in the struggles of Egypt's people as its citizens cast off long-standing oppression.

The Internet proved an invaluable tool to ignite protest into revolution in Egypt in January. Social-media services such as Facebook and Twitter were used by brave protesters to organize dissent, while services such as Flickr and YouTube allowed Egyptians to show what was happening at street level even when the government attempted to shut down the Internet.

Read more of "Egyptian names baby 'Facebook'" at CNET UK.