Repression in the digital age : surveillance, censorship, and the dynamics of state violence / Anita R. Gohdes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gohdes, Anita R., author.

Series:

Disruptive technology and international security.

Oxford scholarship online.

Disruptive technology and international security

Oxford scholarship online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Internet--Political aspects.

Internet.

Internet governance--Government policy.

Internet governance.

State-sponsored terrorism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (0 pages)

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2024.

Summary:

In 'Repression in the Digital Age', Anita R. Gohdes provides an in-depth look into the relationship between digital technologies and state violence. Drawing on original data, Gohdes argues that mass access to the Internet presents governments who fear for their political survival with a set of response options, which in turn support different forms of violence by state forces. As digital communication has become a bedrock of modern opposition and protest movements, this text breaks new ground in examining state repression in the information age.

Contents:

Cover

Repression in the Digital Age: Surveillance, Censorship, and the Dynamics of State Violence

Copyright

Contents

Acknowledgments

List of Figures

List of Tables

1. Introduction

1.1 Argument

Scope conditions

1.2 Evidence

Repression technology in Syria

Internet infrastructure and usage in Syria and Iran

Methodological approach

Context and approach to researching this topic

1.3 Plan of the book

2. What are online controls, and how do they work?

2.1 Connecting to the Internet

2.2 Censorship

Top-level censorship

Shutdowns

Slowing down access

Domain-level censorship

Blocking global access to individual domains

Blocking domestic access to individual domains

Content-level censorship

Harassement and threats

Distraction and drowning out content

Requesting or ordering content removal

Constrained choices

2.3 Monitoring content and people

From content to metadata

Mass and targeted surveillance techniques

Summary

3. Theory

3.1 The role of information in repression

The double-edged sword of online information control

3.2 The logic of online surveillance

Identification

Anticipation

Intimidation

Implications for coercive strategy

3.3 The logic of online censorship

Restricting information exchange

Hindering collective organization

Depleting opposition capabilities

Withholding infrastructure

When censorship backfires

Summary of theoretical expectations

4. Online controls and repression in Syria

4.1 Information control for regime stability

4.2 Digital politics pre-conflict

4.3 2011 uprising and repression

4.4 Digital politics following the uprising

4.5 Studying repression in Syria: data and measurement

Operationalizing state repression

Sources and data access.

Record-linkage

Accounting for unreported violence

Summary of empirical approach

5. Nationwide shutdowns and government offensives

5.1 Understanding full shutdowns

Concerted repression

Reputation saving

Why nationwide shutdowns are likely to be infrequent

Repressive implications of a shutdown

Data

5.2 Internet shutdowns and documented violence

5.3 Underreporting during shutdowns

Discussion

6. Internet accessibility and targeted violence

6.1 When is online surveillance useful?

Observable implications

6.2 Regional Internet accessibility in Syria

6.3 Measuring the regime's violent strategy

6.4 Subnational evidence

6.4.1 Regional armed group control

6.4.2 Regional ethnic group presence

7. Online controls and the protestrepression nexus in Iran

7.1 Elections and protest in 2009

7.2 Ramping up online controls after 2009

7.3 Protests and Internet shutdown, November 2019

7.3.1 Mass repression and intimidation

7.3.2 Controlling the narrative

7.3.3 Evading censorship after the shutdown

Conclusion

8. Global evidence: Internet outages and repression

8.1 How to measure Internet outages

A combined network measure

8.2 Internet outages and political institutions

8.3 Internet outages and state repression

9. Conclusion

9.1 Summary of findings

9.2 The implications of tech-supported repression

Implications of domestic cyber capabilities

The battle for digital infrastructure

9.3 Resistance to online repression

9.4 Beyond state control: the role of private companies

Notes

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 8

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Also issued in print: 2024.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource and publisher information; title from PDF title page (viewed on October 25, 2023).

ISBN:

0-19-774360-9

0-19-774358-7

OCLC:

1409658161