The ‘Facebook revolutions’ that weren’t
The Take is looking back on the Arab Spring, and what has changed on social media 10 years later.
Social media was how many of us consumed the 2011 Arab uprisings. Technology was putting power in the hands of the people. To use social media in 2021, especially in the Middle East, is to navigate a maze of internet laws, surveillance, censorship, fake news and bots. With Facebook now looking for ways to make political content less visible, we ask: what has changed?
In this episode:
Mohamad Najam, executive director of SMEX, a digital rights organization in Beirut, Lebanon; Jillian C York, director for International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
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The team:
Alexandra Locke produced this episode with Josh Rushing, Ney Alvarez, Dina Kesbeh, Negin Owliaei, Amy Walters, Priyanka Tilve and Malika Bilal.
Alex Roldan was the sound designer. Natalia Aldana is the engagement producer. Stacey Samuel is The Take’s executive producer.