A day after Twitter confirmed that both its website and some applications were inaccessible in Egypt, a group that monitors Internet traffic was receiving reports that Facebook was inaccessible, amid the biggest anti-government protests in years.
Asked about the social network's status in Egypt, a Facebook spokesman referred AFP to Herdict.org,which listed two reports of www.facebook.com being inaccessible in Egypt.
The government has however denied blocking both Twitter and Facebook, according to Reuters.
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Facebook groups have played a key role in organising the protests, which were sparked off due to unemployment and prevailing economic conditions in fellow Arab nation Tunisia.
Reports said 90,000 Facebook users confirmed they would attend the first major day of protests.
As in other recent protests from Tunisia to Iran, Twitter has also played a key role in disseminating information to fellow protesters as well as international media.
YouTube users have also been quick to spread footage of demonstrations - see below.
Reports yesterday suggested both YouTube and Google had been blocked, although footage from the demonstrations had, on Thursday morning AEDT, appeared in the last few hours.
TNW reported that services had been intermittent, while many users were using different social networks and video sites by using proxy servers.
Despite US support for the regime's antidemocratic means in suppressing the main islamic opposition, it has urged its ally to lift a ban on demonstrations and undertake reforms.
The State Department said the US ambassador to Egypt, Margaret Scobey, met Wednesday with a senior official to urge freedom for journalists and access to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
"She expressed our concern about the situation and the need for the Egyptian government to demonstrate restraint. She also raised the issue of interference with social media," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said.
Six people, including police officers, are now reported to have been killed. Hundreds have been arrested.
