ABSTRACT
While putting the finishing touches on this book, world-changing events occurred in North Africa and the Middle East: popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt drove out entrenched leaders, while Bahrain and Libya, to name but two other Arab countries, descended into violent unrest. Many argue that these unanticipated developments were due, in large part, to information and communication technologies (ICT)—in particular to social media. Much like the cyberspaces this book covers, attempting to delve comprehensively into how ICT affected each event and situation would only serve to enumerate a small fraction of ICT’s effect on global affairs. However, in each recent case the nexus of people, media, and technology created a highly charged atmosphere, leaving the international community at turns surprised, activated and, perhaps, slightly apprehensive.
