Is Twitter censoring #flotilla?

Never attribute to malice that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.

The search works for me, but only when I'm signed out. This leads me to believe that this is some sort of technical issue. Besides, I don't think they are stupid enough to do something like censoring this.

Ahh - wait - I see if you search from the main site, it fails for me now too. <a href="http://search.twitter.com" rel="nofollow">http://search.twitter.com</a> works though. Weird. I expect it's due to a some bug/performance failure rather than an intentional censorship. Otherwise search.twitter.com would be censored too.

No, it's not: <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=flotilla" rel="nofollow">http://search.twitter.com/search?q=flotilla</a>

Please be a technical error.<p>They could undo a lot of good will (Iran elections, etc) just by censoring this one thing.

I just flagged this story. Does that mean an op will review it?<p>I think it's wrong to state that Twitter is censoring, and is harmful. It should have been posted as a question instead.<p>[edit: The poster's reviewed it.]

Headline draws controversial conclusion from incomplete data and should be changed.<p>For example, this could be the result of automated measures to prevent spamming the trending topics gone haywire. Or not. But accusing censorship without knowing the whole story is just hair-trigger indignation.

I note the generally less controversial Stephen Fry is complaining about unrelated Trending Topic oddness this morning, looks like they've screwed up their system somehow and the #flotilla thing is a coincidence. <a href="http://twitter.com/stephenfry/status/15064838816" rel="nofollow">http://twitter.com/stephenfry/status/15064838816</a>

I don't get the technical error message for #flotilla, but a search on the tag acts like it's being ignored. However, <a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23freedomflotilla" rel="nofollow">http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23freedomflotilla</a> is a trending topic and yields results.

The posted link shows fresh results. Clicking on the hashtag works too. Where's the problem?<p>Edit: Safari on iPhone, located in Latvia.

People are now using #freedomflotilla instead of #flotilla, for those of you who wanted to participate.

I see people here agreeing, but when I visit <a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23flotilla" rel="nofollow">http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23flotilla</a> it appears fine?<p>Here's what I see: <a href="http://twitpic.com/1spne4" rel="nofollow">http://twitpic.com/1spne4</a>

It probably tripped an anti-spam filter. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/may/31/twitter-censoring-flotilla-questions" rel="nofollow">http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/may/31/twitte...</a>

It`s trending in Canada: <a href="http://imgur.com/XaeuJ.png" rel="nofollow">http://imgur.com/XaeuJ.png</a><p>But wtf? I click it, and I can't access the search?<p>edit: I can report that clicking on #flotilla in trending topics is now functional.

Also true for the word "İsrail" which is Israel in Turkish.

I don't think they would do this. Care to explain?

The hashtags #flotilla and #israil still gives "Something is technically wrong." error in Turkey. I confirmed it with many people here.

"Aid Flotilla" is trending in the UK.<p>Screenshot: <a href="http://grab.by/4Fiy" rel="nofollow">http://grab.by/4Fiy</a>

Works for me intermittently; technical error.

This could be either because:<p>1) Israel is pushing Twitter to censor these terms<p>2) Someone at Twitter HQ blindly supports Israel<p>Either way it completely destroys perhaps the most important usage for Twitter: a voice for those in the epicenter of something happening.