Russia’s deputy PM Igor Sechin says Google ‘manipulated’ Egyptians.....

Deputy PM - Igor Sechin

A top Russian official said Tuesday that Internet giant Google was behind “manipulations” of Egyptians whose mass revolt toppled longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin brushed off comparisons between Mubarak’s 30-year reign and the government in Moscow, insisting Russia had “political stability.” ”We need to more closely examine what has happened in Egypt. See, well, what senior managers of Google have been doing in Egypt, what kind of manipulations of the energy of the people took place there,” he told the newspaper. He appeared to be referring to Wael Ghonim, a 30-year-old Google marketing executive who galvanized protesters when he tearfully recounted the 12 days he spent in detention during a TV interview days before Mubarak’s overthrow.

Ghonim had been one of the architects of the youth-led protests, which made use of social networking sites Facebook and Twitter and brought hundreds of thousands of people into the streets to demand Mubarak step down. The 82-year-old leader resigned on February 11, handing power to a council of military commanders.

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