Pulling the plug
Network disruptions and violence in civil conflict
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3917786 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anita R Gohdes (University of Mannheim), Anita Gohdes (0000-0001-7367-8646, University of Mannheim, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 352-367 |
| Publication date | 2015-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Peace Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-3433 • E-ISSN: 1460-3578 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0022343314551398 |
| OpenAlex | W2119085661 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 56 |
| References cited | 25 |
New media outlets have been deemed a vital instrument for protesters and opposition groups to coordinate activities in the recent civilian uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. But what happens when regimes respond by shutting down the internet? I argue that governments have a strategic incentive to implement internet blackouts in conjunction with larger repressive operations against violent opposition forces. Short-term intermissions in communication channels are expected to decrease opposition groups' capabilities to successfully coordinate and implement attacks against the state, allowing regime forces to strengthen their position. Network blackouts should consequently be accompanied by significant increases in military activity. Analyzing daily documented killings by the government in the Syrian civil war, I find that blackouts occur in conjunction with significantly higher levels of state repression, most notably in areas where government forces are actively fighting violent opposition groups. In addition, I estimate the number of undocumented conflict fatalities prior to and during network blackouts to test whether they are implemented to hide atrocities from outside observers, and find no support for this hypothesis. The results indicate that such network blackouts constitute a part of the military's strategy to target and weaken opposition groups, where the underreporting of violence is not systematically linked to outages
Computer security · Economics · Incentive · Market economy · Opposition (politics) · Political economy · Political science · Politics · The Internet · Computer Science · Engineering · Law · Media Influence and Politics · Political Conflict and Governance · Social Media and Politics
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| Unique citing works | 56 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 5,09 |
| Citation span | 2015 - 2026 (12) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 55 |