Digital Dissidence and Social Media Censorship in Africa
London; New York: Routledge (2023), 292 pp.
Contains index
Series: Routledge African Media, Culture and Communication Studies
ISBN 9781003276326 (ebook); 978-1-03-223226-3 (hbk)
"Drawing on cases from across the continent, contributors explore the form and nature of social media and government censorship, often via antisocial media laws, or less overt tactics such as state cybersurveillance, spyware attacks on social media activists, or the artful deployment of the rhetoric of "fake news" as a smokescreen to muzzle critical voices. The book also reflects on the Chinese influence in African governments’ clampdown on social media and the role of Israeli NSO Group Technologies, as well as the tactics and technologies which activists and users are deploying to resist or circumvent social media censorship." (Publisher description)
Introduction: The Gatekeeper State Meets Digital Citizen Panoptic Gaze / Farooq A.Kperogi, 1
PART I. BACKGROUND ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND INTERNET CENSORSHIP IN AFRICA
1 Historicising and Theorising Social Media and the Demotic Turn in Communication in Africa / Farooq A. Kperogi, 21
2 His Excellency, the Internet and Outraged Citizens: An Analysis of the Big Man Syndrome and Internet Shutdowns in Africa / Shepherd Mpofu, 37
3 Capital, the State, and the Digital Divide: A Critical Reflection on Social Media Censorship in Ghana / Eric Karikari, 58
4 Between State Interests and Citizen Digital Rights: Making Sense of Internet Shutdowns in Zimbabwe / Tendai Chari, 76
PART II. PROTEST JOURNALISM AND CITIZEN DISSIDENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
5 Countering Hegemony in Zimbabwe's Cyber Sphere: A Study of Dissident Digital Native Group #Tajamuka / Trust Matsilele, 101
6 Cyber Space as Battlefield for Nationalist and Separatist Groups: A Study of Nigeria's Indigenous People of Biafra Online Propaganda / Floribert Patrick C. Endong and Paul Obi, 119
7 Social Media, Censorship and Counter-Censorship of Female Performances in Morocco and Egypt / Ebtesam M. El Shokrofy, 139
8 From Facebook to FaceBimeeza: How Ugandans Used Facebook to Replace Banned Radio Political Debates During the 2016 Presidential Elections / Marion O. Alina, 155
9 Digital Dissidents or Whistle-blowers? A Critical Analysis of Microbloggers in Kenya / Job Mwaura, 175
PART III. SOCIAL MEDIA REPRESSION AND STATE SURVEILLANCE
10 Social Media Usage and Digital Rights Restrictions in The Republic Of Chad / Akwasi Bosompem Boateng, 197
11 Powers, Interests and Actors: The Influence of China in Africa's Digital Surveillance Practices / Allen Munoriyarwa and Sarah Helen Chiumbu, 209
12 Social Mediated Crisis Communication: Legitimacy, Significant Choice, and Censorship in the Armed Conflict in Cameroon / Vincent Doh Manzie, 230
13 Case Studies on Anti-Social Media Laws in African Countries / Anna Nakaayi, 242
PART I. BACKGROUND ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND INTERNET CENSORSHIP IN AFRICA
1 Historicising and Theorising Social Media and the Demotic Turn in Communication in Africa / Farooq A. Kperogi, 21
2 His Excellency, the Internet and Outraged Citizens: An Analysis of the Big Man Syndrome and Internet Shutdowns in Africa / Shepherd Mpofu, 37
3 Capital, the State, and the Digital Divide: A Critical Reflection on Social Media Censorship in Ghana / Eric Karikari, 58
4 Between State Interests and Citizen Digital Rights: Making Sense of Internet Shutdowns in Zimbabwe / Tendai Chari, 76
PART II. PROTEST JOURNALISM AND CITIZEN DISSIDENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
5 Countering Hegemony in Zimbabwe's Cyber Sphere: A Study of Dissident Digital Native Group #Tajamuka / Trust Matsilele, 101
6 Cyber Space as Battlefield for Nationalist and Separatist Groups: A Study of Nigeria's Indigenous People of Biafra Online Propaganda / Floribert Patrick C. Endong and Paul Obi, 119
7 Social Media, Censorship and Counter-Censorship of Female Performances in Morocco and Egypt / Ebtesam M. El Shokrofy, 139
8 From Facebook to FaceBimeeza: How Ugandans Used Facebook to Replace Banned Radio Political Debates During the 2016 Presidential Elections / Marion O. Alina, 155
9 Digital Dissidents or Whistle-blowers? A Critical Analysis of Microbloggers in Kenya / Job Mwaura, 175
PART III. SOCIAL MEDIA REPRESSION AND STATE SURVEILLANCE
10 Social Media Usage and Digital Rights Restrictions in The Republic Of Chad / Akwasi Bosompem Boateng, 197
11 Powers, Interests and Actors: The Influence of China in Africa's Digital Surveillance Practices / Allen Munoriyarwa and Sarah Helen Chiumbu, 209
12 Social Mediated Crisis Communication: Legitimacy, Significant Choice, and Censorship in the Armed Conflict in Cameroon / Vincent Doh Manzie, 230
13 Case Studies on Anti-Social Media Laws in African Countries / Anna Nakaayi, 242
