Digital Technologies and Activism in Authoritarian Contexts and Beyond

Zahid Shahab Ahmed is Associate Professor at National Defence College of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. Shahram Akbarzadeh is Professor of International Politics and Convenor of the Middle East Studies Forum at Deakin University. He previously held an ARC Future Fellowship (2013–2016) on the role of Islam in Iran’s foreign policy and recently led a Qatar Foundation project on sectarianism in the Middle East. Professor Akbarzadeh is widely published on Middle Eastern politics, regional rivalries, and Islamic militancy, and is a regular contributor to policy and public debates. In 2022, he was appointed Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. Ihsan Yilmaz is Research Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Deakin University, where he also serves as Deputy Director (Research Development) at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation (ADI). He has previously held academic appointments at the University of Oxford and the University of London. A leading scholar in political Islam, populism, and digital authoritarianism, Professor Yilmaz has directed multi-site international research projects supported by major funders including the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Victorian Government, and the Gerda Henkel Foundation.

• Introduction: The Intersection of Digital Technologies, Authoritarianism, and Online DissentZahid Shahab Ahmed, Shahram Akbarzadeh and Ihsan Yilmaz1. Technological Advancement and Power: The Middle East in the Fourth Industrial RevolutionGovand Khalid Azeez2. Internet in Iran: Battlefront of IdeasAmin Naeni and Shahram Akbarzadeh3. The Impact of China’s Smart Digital Technologies on Uyghur MuslimsMettursun Beydulla4. The Methods and Instruments of Digital Authoritarianism in Turkey and the Role of AKtrolls in Online/Offline IntimidationBulent Kenes and Ihsan Yilmaz5. Authoritarian Approaches to Internet Governance and its Incidence on Transnational Human Rights Advocacy Networks: Myanmar’s Post-coup RealityJulia Ryng and Guillemette Guicherd6. The Rising Digital Authoritarianism in PakistanSaeed Ahmed Rid and Zahid Shahab Ahmed7. Vocalised Resistance to Authoritarianism in Egypt: A Study of PodcastsIhsan Yilmaz and Nadeen Madkour8. Blockchain Technology in MENA: Impacts on Authoritarianism and Civil ActivismAnas Iqtait9. Digital Platforms, Youth Activism, and Illiberal and Authoritarian Governance: The Case of Nigerian EndSARS MovementNajimdeen Bakare10. Political Activism 2.0: How are Bangladeshi exiled activists working against authoritarianism?Saimum Parvez11. Epistemic Contestations and Use/Misuse of OSINT in IndiaFeeza Vasudeva-Barkdull12. Hacker Activism in Indonesia’s Contemporary DemocracyAbdullah Faqih and Fahmi Rizki FahrojiConclusion: Navigating Digital Authoritarianism, Resistance, and UncertaintiesIhsan Yilmaz, Shahram Akbarzadeh and Zahid Shahab Ahmed