Competitive Political Regime and Internet Control: Case Studies of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia

Why are policies of internet control adopted in a democratic state, while internet freedom is guaranteed in a more authoritarian context? In this work on the comparative politics of internet control, it is argued that regime type per se is not the direct determinant of the internet control outcome. Instead, the book proposes an alternative model that addresses the intensity of online transgressiveness and the capacity of online civil society. While online transgressiveness propels governments to seek internet control strategies, online civil society represents an inhibiting force, the cohesiveness of which determines the extent to which societal resistance against internet censorship might succeed. Through detailed studies of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, Competitive Political Regime and Internet Control shows that online transgressiveness and civil society capacity collectively shape the outcomes of internet control. In this way, the book provides a new framework for understanding the practice of internet control, which has become a hot topic in the study of internet politics and regime types more generally. It also speaks to the broad literature on Southeast Asian politics, as well as that on democratization.