JOURNAL ARTICLE

Do the Reasons for Social Media Censorship Vary Across Political Regimes and Social Media Platforms?

  • Published In: Communication Reports, 2025, v. 38, n. 2. P. 91 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Al-Zaman, Md. Sayeed 3 of 3

Abstract

We analyzed 360 incidents of social media censorship (SMC) across 76 countries from 2009 to 2023 to examine if regime types and social media (SM) platforms can predict the reasons for SMC. Our multinomial logistic regression analysis based on two hypotheses suggests that regime types significantly fully influence, while SM platforms partially influence censorship reasons. Even though the democratization process in a country tends to increase online liberty, there is a potential for increased control in democratic environments if SM platforms threaten user safety and privacy. We also suggest that security reasons, often cited by democracies, may have underlying political motivations. These insights could inform the development of more appropriate frameworks and strategies for SM regulation across diverse political contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Communication Reports. 2025/05, Vol. 38, Issue 2, p91
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Politics and Government
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0893-4215
  • DOI:10.1080/08934215.2024.2432320
  • Accession Number:185487952
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Communication Reports is the property of Western States Communication Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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