The book tracks the rocky path taken by Egyptian bloggers operating in Mubarak's authoritarian regime to illustrate how the state monopoly on information was eroded, making space for dissent and digital activism. David Faris argues that it was circumstances particular to Egypt, more than the 'spark' from Tunisia, that allowed the revolution to take off: namely blogging and digital activism stretching back into the 1990s, combined with sustained and numerous protest movements and an independent press.

Reporters Without Borders releases its Enemies of the Internet 2013 Report. Special Edition: Surveillance, which focuses on "all the monitoring and spying" that is targeting dissidents, activists and citizens in general. Five countries identified as "State Enemies of the Internet" are Syria, China, Iran, Bahrain and Vietnam. Five private-sector companies listed as "Corporate Enemies of the Internet" are Gamma, Trovicor, Hacking Team, Amesys and Blue Coat.

The book examines the complex role of the Internet, mobile phones, and social networking applications in the Arab Spring. Examining digital media access, level of grievance, and levels of protest for popular democratization in 16 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Howard and Hussain conclude that digital media was neither the most nor the least important cause of the Arab Spring. Instead, they illustrate a complex web of conjoined causal factors for social mobilization.

The OpenNet Initiative published its report After the Green Movement: Internet Controls in Iran, 2009-2012 authored by Matthew Carrieri and Saad Omar Khan. The paper "details Iran’s increasing Internet controls since 2009, when protests against the victory of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad rocked the country."