Repression in the Digital Age

In this masterful work, Anita R. Gohdes provides a sweeping review of the various tools of repression available to states through cyber technology-and shows that those tools have varying impacts on patterns of state violence toward dissidents. In Repression in the Digital Age, Gohdes provides an elegant and important argument: that the use of cyber tools for surveillance and monitoring is associated with government authorities deploying targeted violence against oppositionists, whereas censorship and internet closures are more associated with indiscriminate state violence. Meticulously researched, compellingly argued, and brilliantly written, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in technology, public policy, contentious politics, and international politics. * Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment, Harvard University *
What strategies do governments employ to manage the challenges of digital technologies, like social media, mobile devices, and the internet? Under what circumstances are internet shutdowns employed, and what are their impacts on state violence? Repression in the Digital Age is a thorough analysis of information controls in the digital age. Combining careful case studies with the latest theories on online censorship and surveillance, Gohdes has written a highly readable overview of the issues, and an essential contribution to the field. * Ron Deibert, Director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto *
This book will be remembered not because it settles the above argument, but because it introduces empirical measures that can. Existing scholarship is only beginning to assess whether privately owned cyber infrastructure is less repressive than publicly owned cyber infrastructure. Cybersecurity specialists should brace themselves. This debate is destined to continue for a long, long time. * Choice *
Beyond its notable theoretical and methodological contributions to the advancement of its academic field, Repression in the Digital Age provides valuable political and strategic lessons. The analysis may help activists and opponents who are subjected to these cyber controls to adjust their strategies of circumvention and adaptation. * French Studies on Intelligence and cyber *
In Repression in the Digital Age, Anita R. Gohdes investigates how governments increasingly rely on digital tools like surveillance, censorship, and Internet shutdowns to respond to political threats. Through global data and case studies from Syria and Iran, Gohdes reveals how these tools enable states to monitor dissent, deploy targeted repression, or enforce broad, indiscriminate crackdowns. In an era where digital connectivity fuels both opposition movements and authoritarian strategies, this timely work offers critical insights into the intersection of technology and state power, making it essential reading for understanding repression in today's interconnected world. * Abdalla Nasef, Tahrir Podcast *