From pirate radio, livestreaming, and video-sharing apps, to asynchronous mesh networks, Bluetooth, SMS/MMS, i2p, and Tor hidden services, the ways that activists in the Middle East and North Africa get critical information out are far more varied than most people know. With so much attention given to leaks recently, it’s easy to perceive the “liberation” of information as involving major hacks of critical systems. But reality is, as always, much more complex and interesting. This talk will show just how distribution channels in the Middle East are created and maintained, and the positive impacts they can have.