Internet Restored in Libya, Google Maps Shows Up-To-Date Info

The Internet has been restored to Libya after the country shut down its network links to the outside world for six hours last night. Now that the Internet is back, protesters are making the most of their connectivity by mapping tweets using Google Maps.

According to those trusty wire watchers at Renesys, “Two-thirds of Libyan routes came back to life at 6:01 UTC [1:01 a.m. Eastern], and the remainder were restored nine minutes later … and Libya is back on the Internet.”

Now that the net is back, we can see brave people tweeting away, letting each other know what’s going on inside the troubled country. Beyond that, those tweets are being mapped in ways that are spectacularly useful.

Take a look at this Google maps mashup, created by Twitter user @arasmus. It compiles Twitter messages and then places them on a map with an unmistakable legend attached each one.

On the map, you can see police locations, protesters on the move, power outages, and the number of deaths that have occurred. A click on each icon shows more data, such as warnings where police are using live ammunition. And, @arasmus is regularly updating this map, saying it’s current to within a few minutes.

This is just one of the powerful social networking tools the protesters can use to keep tabs on the situation. We’re wondering if Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi and his police force are also using this map for their own information.