Iraq’s protests and the technology of resistance

Amid killings and arrests, Iraqi activists have adapted to survive and turned to technology for protection.

In an increasingly interconnected world and with the rise of massive social media corporations and “big data” analytics, digital privacy and data security have never been more important. While in many advanced democratic societies the debate often revolves around the citizen’s right to a private space, in countries such as Iraq the lack of privacy can have deadlier repercussions and so demonstrators are increasingly adopting novel means of keeping their identities away from the prying eyes of security forces and powerful Shia militias. Since the US-led invasion and occupation of the country in 2003, Iraq has had a long history of civil unrest and protest movements. Up until 2013, these were largely led by the Sunni Arab minority that felt marginalised by the post-2003 order.