cyberactivism

Cyberactivism refers to political or social activism that uses digital technologies and online networks to promote, organize, or facilitate collective action. It covers a broad range of practices, including information campaigns, online petitions, social media mobilization, digital fundraising, and whistleblowing, as well as coordinated online protests and activist journalism. Actors include individuals, civil society organizations, journalists, advocacy groups, and sometimes state or corporate partners.

Methods span the spread of information and civic education, hashtag campaigns, meme-based persuasion, and data-driven campaigning. Participants may use blogging, video and livestreaming, emails, messaging apps, and crowd-sourced organizing. Some tactics are online only, while others aim to complement offline action. Controversial tools, such as distributed denial-of-service attacks or other illegal intrusions, are debated within the movement and often prosecuted under local law.

Origins lie in late 20th-century online forums and email lists, expanding with the rise of mass social media in the 2000s and 2010s. Proponents argue cyberactivism lowers barriers to participation and enables rapid, global mobilization, while critics warn of slacktivism, misinformation, surveillance risks, and the potential to undermine legitimate advocacy or trigger legal penalties.

Prominent examples include online campaigns during the Arab Spring, whistleblowing disclosures by organizations and individuals, and campaigns around human rights, government transparency, and digital rights. The field continues to evolve as platforms, data analytics, and cybersecurity considerations shape strategy and risk.