Internet Coverage and the Spatial Diffusion of Protest

The book also examines the impact of Internet technology on the diffusion of protest within countries. Building on similar informational arguments as in Chapter 7, the chapter elaborates on how Internet technology can transmit information from cities with protest to other cities in the same country, potentially inspiring further outbreaks of protest. The analysis in this chapter uses fine-grained data on protest and Internet connectivity to test the diffusion effect of Internet technology. The results of the analysis reveal that prior protest in a country indeed increases the likelihood of further outbreaks. This effect, however, seems to be driven by protest in cities with high connectivity, which quickly helps disseminate information to other places in the country. This effect is time-dependent, and it is strongest immediately after protest has happened. Unlike in the previous chapter, the authors find no evidence of repression preventing protest diffusion.