Digital Hopes, Real Power: How the Arab Spring Fueled a Global Surveillance Boom (eff.org)

• Digital tools for protest have become standard surveillance assets for regimes.
• Mass surveillance technologies now threaten democratic discourse globally.
• The shift from liberation to control exposes fundamental tech governance failures.

"The early optimism surrounding the role of digital platforms in the Arab Spring has been eclipsed by the weaponization of these technologies by state actors. What began as a tool for democratic mobilization has been co-opted into a robust infrastructure for mass surveillance, predictive policing, and the repression of civil society. This evolution underscores a critical vulnerability in global digital sovereignty and the dual-use nature of modern communications platforms."