Vox:
Liberation technology: mobile phones and political mobilisation in Africa
22 May 2016
Digital technologies have been widely used for political activism in recent years, including during the Arab Spring, the Occupy Wall Street movement, and the Indignados movement in Spain. This column reports research showing that the growing use of mobile phones in Africa leads to more political protests during recessions and periods of national crisis. The mobilising potential of digital technologies is more pronounced in autocratic countries and those where the raditional media are under state control, suggesting that this technology may play a key role in fostering political freedom.
This article was published online by Vox on May 22, 2016
Link to article here
Related publications
Liberation Technology: Mobile Phones and Political Mobilization in Africa, Marco Manacorda and Andrea Tesei, Centre for Economic Performance Discussion Paper No.1419, March 2016
Related links
Marco Manacorda webpage
Labour Markets Programme webpage