Social Media in the Life Cycle of Protest

This chapter explores the role of social media in protest movements and the impacts of this technology on human rights and democracy, drawing on recent case studies from Chile (2019–2020) and Brazil (2023). These impacts are examined through the lens of the international human rights law system as well as the regional Inter-American human rights system. The chapter considers social media throughout the full life cycle of protest, highlighting how it can facilitate expression and accelerate movements while also serving as a platform for the spread of disinformation. The chapter also discusses how social media is used to enable the surveillance of participants in protest and how expression and assembly can be impacted by content moderation practices. It further recognises that social media can be used to document human rights abuses and advance accountability for injustice. Ultimately, the chapter argues that existing ‘soft law’ such as principles for business, have proven inadequate to safeguard fundamental rights related to protest in the context of social media. It concludes that states must accordingly regulate social media activities to ensure transparency and accountability and advance the effective protection of human rights.