Twitter activism and the current uprising in Iran

Abstract

'Twitter Activism in Iran: Social Media and Democracy in Authoritarian Regimes' by Hossein Kermani (Palgrave, 2025) investigates Twitter activism in authoritarian regimes, with particular attention to Iran. The platform has been blocked in Iran since the 2009 presidential election and its subsequent protests, the Green Movement. Nevertheless, Iranians have been continually using it to date. Recently, another significant hashtag movement unfolded in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini. But it is only an instance of how Iranians employ Twitter to fight a dictatorship. Given the unique context of Iran as a non-democratic society with a high number of Twitter users, this book tries to explore how Iranian users participate in politics, challenge the regime, mobilise their protests, and shape anti-regime discourses. It also examines the strategies that the Iranian regime takes to dismantle Twitter activism. Moving from the book, the lecture will further discuss the dynamics of the current uprising and brutal state repression in Iran. Find further information on the book here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-81538-6