Social Media Use, Trust, and Surveillance in the Arab Region: Insights from the Arab Opinion Index (2024-2025)

Authors

  • Authors

  • Laila Omar
  • Wajd Beshara
  • Nour Chibani

Keywords:

Arab Opinion Index, Social Media, Misinformation, Censorship, Freedom of Expression

Abstract

Drawing on data from the 2024-2025 Arab Opinion Index, this report explores evolving public attitudes toward social media across Arab countries. It examines how individuals use digital platforms to acquire and engage with news and participate in political and social discourse, especially in the context of ongoing regional conflicts. The findings reveal high levels of reliance on social media for information, alongside growing concerns over misinformation, censorship, and cultural harm. Despite widespread support for content regulation, many continue to use these platforms to discuss political and social issues. The report underscores the complexity of digital awareness and engagement in the Arab region and calls for more qualitative research to unpack public views on censorship, freedom of expression, and the impact of social media on political awareness and democratic values.

References

  1. The Arab Opinion Index is a public opinion survey conducted by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies to gauge public attitudes in the Arab region toward political, social, and economic issues, including democracy, governance, and foreign policy. It is the largest social survey project in the Arab region in terms of sample size, geographic coverage, and thematic breadth. Since its launch in 2011, nine rounds have been completed. The 2024-2025 edition includes data from 14 countries. The total sample includes 35,218 respondents.
  2. Moran Quinn Ross & Joseph B. Bayer, “Explicating Self-Phones: Dimensions and Correlates of Smartphone Self-Extension,” Mobile Media & Communication , vol. 9, no. 3 (2021), pp. 488-512; Yue Lin et al., “Smartphone Embodiment: The Effect of Smartphone Use on Body Representation,” Current Psychology , vol. 42 (2023), pp. 26356–26374. Percentage (%) I don't know / Refused to answer Year Frequency of Internet Use Weekly Daily Rarely Monthly I don't use the Internet
  3. Only percentages over 5% displayed on the stacks. 12.3% 5.1% Attitudes towards role of social media in society Very positive Somewhat positive Somewhat negative Very negative Don't know / Refused to answer
  4. Adel Maalel, “Social Media’s Socio-Cultural Impacts: An Analysis of the 2022 Arab Opinion Index,” Al-Muntaqa , vol. 8, no. 1 (January/February Average Tunisia Sudan Saudi Arabia Qatar Palestine Morocco Mauritania Libya Lebanon Kuwait Jordan Iraq Egypt Algeria Share of respondents 2025), pp. 96-106. Tunisia Qatar Saudi Arabia Sudan Mauritania Morocco Palestine Libya Country Degree of Agreement with Statement on Social Media and Rumors/Fake News Strongly agree Agree to an extent Disagree to an extent Strongly disagree Don't know / Refused to answer
  5. Oana Ştefăniţă, Nicoleta Corbu & Raluca Buturoiu, “Fake News and the Third-Person Effect: They Are More Influenced than Me and You,” Journal of Media Research , vol. 11, no. 3 (2018), pp. 5-23; Nicoleta Corbu et al., “‘They Can’t Fool Me, But They Can Fool the Others!’ Third Person Trust Level (%) 40 30 20 Lebanon Kuwait Jordan Iraq Egypt Algeria Average Year Average Tunisia Sudan Saudi Arabia Qatar Palestine Morocco Mauritania Libya Lebanon Kuwait Jordan Iraq Egypt Algeria Share of respondents Effect and Fake News Detection,” European Journal of Communication , vol. 35, no. 2 (2020), pp. 165-180. Share of respondents Don't know / Refused to answer Social media posts provide knowledge and culture to users Social media platforms promote awareness in societal and cultural issues Social media platforms helps people gain expertise in a variety of fields Social media platforms have brought Arabs across the region closer together Social media platforms have become dangerous for children and adolescents Social media platforms have become a place for inventing and spreading fake news about other people Social media platforms give people the opportunity to express their opinion on their countries' politics Social media platforms cause you to waste time and energy ontrivial matters Social media platforms can help bring people together to work on significant societal issues Social media platforms aid the following of news events as they unfold in real−time Our local culture is in danger because new norms are being imported through social media Much of what is published on social media is false and serves to misguide people It is necessary to monitor and restrict how children and adolescents use social media Degree of Agreement with Statement Agree to an extent Strongly disagree Disagree to an extent Strongly agree
  6. Amy Orben, “The Sisyphean Cycle of Technology Panics,” Perspectives on Psychological Science , vol. 15, no. 5 (2020), pp. 1143-1157. Extent of Surveillance Perception To a large/ some extent To a small extent Not at all Don't know / Refused to answer Extent of Surveillance Perception To a large/ some extent To a small extent Not at all Don't know / Refused to answer Average Tunisia Sudan Saudi Arabia Qatar Palestine Morocco Mauritania Libya Lebanon Kuwait Jordan Iraq Egypt Algeria Share of respondents Social media platforms Government Foreign governments Family Companies Share of respondents
  7. Cass R. Sunstein, “The Law of Group Polarization,” Journal of Political Philosophy , vol. 10, no. 2 (2002), pp. 175-195; Matteo Cinelli et al., “The echo chamber effect on social media,” PNAS , vol. 118, no. 9 (2021), pp. 1-8.
  8. Eli Pariser, The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You (London: Penguin Press, 2011). Awareness of Activity by Bots/ Electronic Armies Your government Yes No Don't know / Refused to answer Private companies Political groups in your country Foreign parties Foreign governments Share of respondents
  9. Samantha Bradshaw & Philip N. Howard, Challenging Truth and Trust: A Global Inventory of Organized Social Media Manipulation , The computational propaganda project (Oxford: University of Oxford, 2018), pp.1-26; Marc Owen Jones, “The Gulf Information War| Propaganda, Fake News, and Fake Trends: The Weaponization of Twitter Bots in the Gulf Crisis,” International Journal of Communication , vol. 13 (2019), p. 27; Mona Elswah & Philip N. Howard, The Challenges of Monitoring Social Media in the Arab World: The Case of the 2019 Tunisian Elections , The Computational Propaganda Project (Oxford: University of Oxford, 2020), p. 2. View on Government Restriction of Online Info Agree that the government should not restrict access Agree that the government Should restrict access Disagree with both statements Don't know / Refused to answer Average Tunisia Sudan Saudi Arabia Qatar Palestine Morocco Mauritania Libya Lebanon Kuwait Jordan Iraq Egypt Algeria Share of respondents
Cover of العدد 19, Almuntaqa

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Published

2025-01-01

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Issue

Vol. 8 No. 019 (2025): Issue 019

Section

Arab Opinion Index Analysis

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