ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the prevailing ways digital rights of citizens are restricted and makes a case for a new conceptualisation that could enhance digital freedom and social media use for democratic participation. In doing so, the chapter focuses on internet and social media shutdowns in sub-Saharan Africa, drawing on data collected from research into politics and social media practices in the Republic of Chad. This chapter focuses on the use of social media for democratic participation in the Republic of Chad, taking into account implications of the internet and social media control by government since the public protests and election issues in 2017. The empirical part of the chapter relies on a critical review of the literature in digital rights restrictions, internet and social media shutdowns in Chad, and the extent to which the government has encroached freedom of speech and participation of citizens especially in digital and online spaces. The government deployed subtle and extreme aspects of internet and social media control of the rights of citizens. Digital rights activists and organisations in Chad have to collaborate with other stakeholders to exert more pressure on the government to refrain from the control and infringement on the digital freedom and rights of citizens.
