As it turns out, American-made technology had helped Mubarak and his security state collect, compile, and parse vast amounts of data about everyday citizens.

In modern politics, even the leader of the free world needs help from the sultan of Facebookistan.

The Internet is an empowering force for people who are protesting against the abuse of power.

The only legitimate purpose of government is to serve citizens, and ... the only legitimate purpose of technology is to improve our lives, not to manipulate or enslave us.

Governance is a way of organizing, amplifying, and constraining power.

Microsoft, Yahoo and others are helping to institutionalize and legitimize the integration of censorship into the global IT business model.

Increasingly, people have very little tolerance for anything that smacks of propaganda.

I study how governments seek to stifle and control online dissent.

Shibuya is a trendy part of Tokyo where young people come to meet and have a good time.

The Patriot Act, passed overwhelmingly but hastily after 9/11, allows the FBI to obtain telecommunication, financial, and credit records without a court order.

We have to start thinking of ourselves as citizens of the Internet, not just passive users. I don’t see how we can bring about change in our digital lives if we don’t take responsibility.

What appears strange and complex becomes stranger and more complicated once you begin to investigate it. That's the true nature of the world.

architecture is a way of life

The years in captivity fuels character development

Maybe I should think of nothing at all? But that was passion impossible. As soon as I tried to thinking of anything, millions of ideas flooded my brain.

To survive the day is triumph enough for the walking wounded among the great many of us.

I draw on my memories but blended with a lot of fantasy.

I do dig the White Stripes. I like the record they have out now.

Any dominant ideology operates off the assumption that what it has to say is unaccountable and unquestionable.

Any state with an initiative process is on our radar.

He comes to this other world and he has to reinvent himself. Again, it felt natural, even though I'd been working really hard trying to come up with something.