The Boundaries of Digital Activism: Dissident Use of Social Media in Iran

Abstract

This paper examines the various ways Internet social media networks and new media were used in the June 2009 Iranian demonstrations following the contentious presidential election, the effectiveness of these media in mobilizing and informing domestic and international audiences, and the implications for freedom of speech, democratic norms, and human rights in Iran. While social media played an important role in providing news and images to the global audience, its domestic use was limited due to widespread distrust and government censorship. Although new technology and digital activism enabled a flow of information that would not traditionally exist in a closed society, the contributions to Iranian democracy and human rights were negligible and possibly even harmful.