Internet Coverage and the Temporal Dynamics of Protest

Abstract

The results Chapter 6 have shown that Internet technology suppresses the occurrence of protest, but how does the technology affect the persistence of protest once it has started? This chapter revisits theoretical arguments for how Internet technology can affect the continuation of protest by facilitating the spread of information about ongoing protest, but also about violent repression by the government. It presents empirical tests of how Internet connectivity relates to the persistence of anti-regime protest. The results show that while the technology lowers the chance that protest occurs in the first place, it makes the continuation of protest more likely once it has started. The chapter also uncovers important heterogeneity in the catalyzing effect of Internet technology: it fuels future protest only if the autocratic regime did not respond with violent repression to the previous instance of unrest. In other words, information about ongoing protest disseminated online can catalyze protest, but the government’s repressive response crucially mediates this effect.