ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how social media activism takes shape in context of pervasive censorship and state repression. In Internet censorship 2012 publication, Access contested, the OpenNet Initiative (ONI) makes clear that over the years Internet censorship tactics have become more varied, and more focused on directing online user activity, instead of simply blocking access to particular content. To interrogate these interconnections, investigation will draw from three case studies on online contention in Tunisia, Iran and China. The case study examines role of Twitter in Tunisian revolution. Like Iran, the Chinese state massively blocks websites, filters online content, and in governing Internet communication very much relies on self-censorship on the part of social media users and Internet companies. Famously, Facebook's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has promoted the platform, when it made its initial public offering (IPO), as an emancipatory and liberating tool. Although the page was eventually relaunched, it shows potential tension between commercial strategies of social platforms and needs of activists.
