Self-censorship in using social media in Bangladesh: Does regime structure matter?

https://doi.org/10.35912/jgas.v4i1.2284
Published: Sep 20, 2024

Abstract:

influences social media users' self-censorship by examining how repression, legal frameworks, surveillance, and media control affect online expression and free speech.

Method: This study on self-censorship in Bangladesh used interviews, content analysis, focus groups, and surveys to understand users' online behavior under a hybrid regime. The results showed that laws such as the Digital Security Act increased self-regulation.

Results: The study revealed that regime structure significantly impacts self-censorship on social media in Bangladesh. Democratic environments reduce self-censorship, whereas restrictive regimes increase it. Higher educational levels are associated with greater self-censorship, likely due to heightened awareness of the consequences. Gender and government actions had a minimal impact. An interaction effect demonstrates that a "climate of fear" combined with critical content intensifies self-censorship, emphasizing the role of regime type and freedom of expression in shaping online behavior.

Limitations: The study on self-censorship in Bangladesh has limitations, including sample bias, potential inaccuracies due to self-reporting, overlooking regional variations, and cultural factors, which affect the generalizability of findings across different contexts.

Contributions: This study provides valuable insights into how the regime structure influences self-censorship on social media in Bangladesh. By highlighting the correlation between authoritarian tendencies and increased self-censorship, this study elucidates the impact of laws such as the Digital Security Act on online behavior. The findings contribute to understanding the broader effects of political regimes on digital expression, offering a framework for examining self-censorship in varying political contexts, and informing future research on digital rights and freedom of expression.

Keywords:
1. Social media
2. Self-Censorship
3. Regime Structure
4. Climate of Fear
Authors:
Sabrina Nughat
University of Bergen, Norway
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How to Cite
Nughat, S. (2024). Self-censorship in using social media in Bangladesh: Does regime structure matter?. Journal of Governance and Accountability Studies, 4(1), 43–59. https://doi.org/10.35912/jgas.v4i1.2284
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Issue & Section
Vol. 4 No. 1 (2024): January
Articles
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References

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  2. Alam, A. S., & Alam, W. (2024). How newspapers’ social media editors in Bangladesh use official social media accounts. Newspaper Research Journal, 45(1), 7-24.
  3. Atinc, G., Simmering, M. J., & Kroll, M. J. (2012). Control variable use and reporting in macro and micro management research. Organizational Research Methods, 15(1), 57-74.
  4. Aziz, A., & Palmer, C. (2022). Bangladeshi tech law would gag journalists, embed authoritarianism. 360info.
  5. Bar-Tal, D. (2017). Self-censorship: The conceptual framework. Self-censorship in contexts of conflict: Theory and research, 1-18.
  6. Cook, P., & Heilmann, C. (2010). Censorship and two types of self-censorship. Available at SSRN 1575662.
  7. Das, S., & Kramer, A. (2013). Self-censorship on Facebook. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media.
  8. Dyuti, S. S. (2020). Exploring the role of facebook pages during the mass student protest for road safety in Bangladesh. International Journal of Social Media and Online Communities (IJSMOC), 12(2), 61-82.
  9. Gayen, K. (2012). Community radio in Bangladesh: The policy and the spirit. Media Asia, 39(1), 32-39.
  10. Gueorguiev, D. D., Shao, L., & Crabtree, C. (2017). Blurring the lines: Rethinking censorship under autocracy. Available at SSRN 3075481.
  11. Habib, A., Hossain, F., Ferdous, T., & Bayezid, K. M. (2018). Social networks and social ties: Changing trends among urban dwellers in Bangladesh. Open Access Library Journal, 5(5), 1-12.
  12. Haque, E. (2019). Balancing freedom of the press and reasonable restrictions in Bangladesh: An appraisal.
  13. Hasan, M. M. (2010). Free speech, ban and “fatwa”: A study of the Taslima Nasrin affair. Journal of Postcolonial Writing, 46(5), 540-552.
  14. Howe, P., Perfors, A., Ransom, K. J., Walker, B., Fay, N., Kashima, Y., & Saletta, M. (2023). Self-censorship appears to be an effective way of reducing the spread of misinformation on social media. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society.
  15. Hünermund, P., & Louw, B. (2023). On the nuisance of control variables in causal regression analysis. Organizational Research Methods, 10944281231219274.
  16. Kabir, P. (2023). Civic Engagement in Exile: Exploring Social Media Presence of Dissidents From Bangladesh. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 28(3), 516-532.
  17. Klarmann, M., & Feurer, S. (2018). Control variables in marketing research. Marketing: ZFP–Journal of Research and Management, 40(2), 26-40.
  18. Klose, H., & Jebin, L. (2024). ‘I pretend to be an ideal woman just to keep their mouths shut’: Bangladeshi women’s contestation of abuse through social media platforms. Information Technology for Development, 30(2), 246-263.
  19. Lipowski, E. E. (2008). Developing great research questions. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 65(17), 1667-1670.
  20. Madsen, V. T., & Verhoeven, J. W. (2016). Self-censorship on internal social media: A case study of coworker communication behavior in a Danish bank. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 10(5), 387-409.
  21. Mattick, K., Johnston, J., & de la Croix, A. (2018). How to… write a good research question. The clinical teacher, 15(2), 104-108.
  22. Ong, E. (2021). Online repression and self-censorship: evidence from Southeast Asia. Government and Opposition, 56(1), 141-162.
  23. Qayum, N. (2021). Beyond Institutions: Patronage and Informal Participation in Bangladesh’s Hybrid Regime. New Political Science, 43(1), 67-85.
  24. Riaz, A., & Riaz, A. (2019a). Bangladesh: From an Electoral Democracy to a Hybrid Regime (1991–2018). Voting in a Hybrid Regime: Explaining the 2018 Bangladeshi Election, 21-31.
  25. Riaz, A., & Riaz, A. (2019b). Manufacturing a Climate of Fear. Voting in a Hybrid Regime: Explaining the 2018 Bangladeshi Election, 33-42.
  26. Rodan, G. (1998). Asia and the international press: the political significance of expanding markets. Democratization, 5(2), 125-154.
  27. Schimpfössl, E., Yablokov, I., Zeveleva, O., Fedirko, T., & Bajomi-Lazar, P. (2020). Self-censorship narrated: journalism in Central and Eastern Europe. European Journal of Communication, 35(1), 3-11.
  28. Schjoedt, L., & Sangboon, K. (2015). Control variables: problematic issues and best practices The Palgrave handbook of research design in business and management (pp. 239-261): Springer.
  29. Shams, A. T. (2024). Dissent under Siege: Case Studies of Repression in the Digital Era of Bangladesh. Advances in Journalism and Communication, 12(1), 207-230.
  30. Shen, X., & Truex, R. (2021). In search of self-censorship. British Journal of Political Science, 51(4), 1672-1684.
  31. Tanash, R., Chen, Z., Wallach, D., & Marschall, M. (2017). The Decline of Social Media Censorship and the Rise of {Self-Censorship} after the 2016 Failed Turkish Coup. Paper presented at the 7th USENIX Workshop on Free and Open Communications on the Internet (FOCI 17).