reaction - Internet and democracy in Morocco: A force for change and an instrument for repression

This article by Dr. Bouziane explores the dynamics of internet use in Morocco and how it is linked with democratization in the country.

After the start of the process of democratization in Morocco in 1997, led by the election of a socialist party, there was hope for more freedom of the press, which until then had been particularly authoritarian and reflected the very oppressive nature of the regime at the time.

However, it was soon clear that despite reforms, the media was still under strict state pressure and regulations.

The Internet appeared then for Moroccans as a public sphere where they could practice their right to free speech with as little government interference as possible. Morocco’s government has generally avoided using tactics used by other authoritarian regimes to limit content on the Internet, such as banning social media platforms. But there are rare exceptions, the infamous banning of Lakome being one of them.  

Even though internet use is technically limited due to the high illiteracy rates and inaccessibility in non-urban parts of the country, Morocco still enjoys a fairly high internet usage rate, and it is steadily increasing. For example, the internet penetration rate in the country grew from around 21 percent in 2007 to 56.8 percent in 2014.

The Internet as used by Moroccans as a platform for advocating change has proven to be successful on numerous occasions, including the February 20 movement that started on Facebook and eventually pressured the government into making a series of reforms. Other successful instances include the withdrawal of Daniel Galvan’s pardon or Amina Filali’s case.

But despite this, the Internet in Morocco is far from being the democratic answer to the problem of authoritarianism in the country. In fact, the Internet is still heavily regulated and surveilled by the Moroccan authorities and has not spared activists from being punished. An example is Ali Anouzla, the founder of the previously-mentioned Lakome, who was arrested on terrorism charges that had, in my opinion, utterly ridiculous justifications. Although it might never be proved, this is more than likely a direct consequence of the fact that he was the one to first expose the Daniel Galvan story a month earlier.

It’s true that as far as media use in Morocco, there is a clear distinction between the internet and the rest of the “traditional” media platforms. While the latter are often directly controlled and regulated by the state, the Internet is rather watched than controlled. But this does not mean that Internet use in Morocco is safe. The fact that there is even the slightest risk of repercussions due to simply sharing an opinion means that Internet in Morocco is not in any way democratic.

Bouziane, Zaid. “Internet and democracy in Morocco: A force for change and an instrument for repression”. Media and Democratization: Global Media and Communication. 2016. P.1-18. Web.