Social media as state media

Social media as state media

The TikTok Inc. sign on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Culver City, CA. Kayla Bartkowski/ Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)In the past, social media platforms were viewed as engines of social change, empowering everyday citizens to band together against repressive governments. In 2009, during the Green Movement, millions of Iranian protesters relied on Twitter to coordinate gatherings and circumvent government media blackouts.Social media, it seem…