Social Media and the Paradox of Liberation and Control: A Study of Arab Cases

Abstract

This study examines the role of social media in authoritarian contexts, focusing on networked social movements operating under repression and surveillance in the Arab region. It argues that these platforms represent a hybrid of networked communication and pervasive surveillance. On one hand, social media enable individuals and movements to bypass restrictions, facilitating expression, coordination, and mobilization. On the other, authoritarian regimes exploit these platforms as tools of monitoring and control. The widespread awareness of surveillance further encourages self-censorship and compliance among users. Using a case study approach, the study identifies a central paradox: social media simultaneously empower and constrain collective action. The extent of this paradox varies depending on contextual factors such as the legal and political environment, the strength of digital infrastructure, the organizational capacity of social movements, and their connections to broader civil society networks and institutions.