Internet Alone Cannot Free the Middle East

Like pen and paper, the internet is another tool that’s used for good or evil. Scholar Evgeny Morozov argues that the internet may have been less influential over recent uprisings in the Middle East. Savvy, repressive governments use the internet too, lifting bans on social media sites while jailing the most outspoken critics or baiting protesters with fake events followed by prosecution. “The real danger is that authoritarian states in the Middle East and elsewhere will now develop more cunning strategies to tame the web,” Morozov warns, predicting a wave of propaganda, cyber attacks, surveillance, taxes or fines. China is most diligent in monitoring and restraining its citizens’ internet debates, serving as an efficient model for other autocrats. The struggle against power for democracy and rights never ends, and Morozov reminds that supporters must be ever-vigilant in resisting emerging new controls. – YaleGlobal