Deadline: February 26, 2025

We are planning to propose a special issue to a peer-reviewed journal on the theme of Digital Authoritarianism in the Global South, and soliciting brief abstracts from scholars working in this field to be a part of our proposal.

We consider Digital Authoritarianism to include all the ways in which digital practices, platforms, and policies contribute to maintaining or exacerbating authoritarianism. These can range from the active use of digital infrastructures by states or related entities against organized opposition or common citizens (e.g., for surveillance, disinformation, or propaganda) to prohibitions on internet access, blocking of content, restrictions on private communication driven by political motivations, and so on.

While recognizing that the Global South is an ambiguous construct, for our SI proposal we consider it to cover all parts of Asia (including the Middle East), Africa, and Latin America that have historically experienced colonialism. Studies that look at interrelations between the Global North and South in the context of digital authoritarianism will also be considered.

Abstracts may focus on states under authoritarian rule or putatively democratic nations that indulge in digital authoritarianism. While country-specific case studies are welcome, we are also interested in comparative or cross-border studies that illustrate digital authoritarianism as a transnational phenomenon. Although we expect most abstracts to be empirically driven (using qualitative, quantitative, or computational methods), conceptual articles and policy-oriented papers may also be submitted.

If you are interested in contributing to our SI proposal, please submit:

1. A 150-word abstract, including your problem statement/research question, methods and materials, and scientific/societal contribution, and

2. A 50-word bio of each author.

All submissions should be sent to Dr. Saif Shahin (s.s.shahin@tilburguniversity.edu) and Dr. Junki Nakahara (junki@stanford.edu)  by Wednesday 26 February.

Please let us know if you have any questions.