Social Media, State Control and Religious Freedom in China

Abstract

With the development of social media and new information communication technology (ITC), state control imposed by authoritarian regimes over society has been challenged due to the media’s pressure on legislation, policy implementation and the mobilization of collective activism. Yet it does not mean the power of media is unlimited in the authoritarian context. Using China as a case, this article tries to point out the limitations of the media’s role in promoting religious freedom by reviewing the existing literature on media and social control. It stresses that the nature of religious issues, the accessibility of information, and the social consensus among netizens contribute to the difficulty in enhancing religious freedom and rights protection in China at this moment.