[In 2024] Across South Asia, the internet became not just a medium for expression, but a battlefield where narratives were fought, manipulated and weaponized.
South Asia is a region of contrasts where burgeoning economic powers face deep-rooted challenges in governance, civil liberties and social justice. In 2024, the political landscape across the region, which is home to a quarter of the world’s population, was marked by contentious elections, rising authoritarianism and the expanding control over digital spaces, with profound implications for democracy and civil freedoms.
A YEAR OF ELECTORAL TURMOIL
The year 2024 saw several landmark elections that showcased the region’s democratic vulnerabilities. In Bangladesh, the ruling Awami League (AL) under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina secured a controversial fourth consecutive term, with the opposition boycotting the January 7th polls, leaving the country politically fractured. However, a student-led uprising against Hasina’s authoritarianism started in July and led to her exile by August, highlighting the growing divide between the political elite and a populace demanding change.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the February 8 general elections were marred by allegations of vote-rigging and internet shutdowns. The credibility of the election was widely questioned, with reports of deliberate delays in vote counting and suppression of dissent through digital means, including bans on social media platforms. The result was a fragile coalition government, largely formed by traditional political players like the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN).
In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) consolidated its power once again in June, securing a third consecutive term. The 2024 election highlighted a political narrative that champions nationalistic rhetoric, often at the expense of dissent and pluralism.
Sri Lanka, emerging from the ashes of its post-economic crisis, held its own presidential election in September, which saw Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) won the presidency. The election was widely seen as a potential turning point for Sri Lanka’s political future, but it was not without controversy, particularly around the role of social media in shaping electoral narratives.
SOCIAL MEDIA: A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD
In 2024, the role of social media in political discourse reached unprecedented levels. Across South Asia, the internet became not just a medium for expression, but a battlefield where narratives were fought, manipulated and weaponized.
Bangladesh was a stark example of how social media can be used to manipulate public opinion. Both the ruling AL and opposition BNP exploited platforms like Facebook and TikTok, spreading weaponized misinformation and disinformation.
In Bangladesh, where over 52 million people are online, the government’s crackdown on social media included the deletion of scores of Facebook accounts and the removal of thousands of TikTok accounts attempting to sway political sentiments. The use of deepfakes and artificial intelligence (AI) generated content added to the murkiness of the online discourse, blurring the lines between truth and fabrication.
Pakistan, too, witnessed a similar trend, where political parties, including the PPP, PMLN and former PM Imran Khan’s PTI, leveraged social media platforms to further their electoral ambitions. Notably, Imran Khan’s speeches, delivered from behind bars, were amplified using AI technology—a reflection of how the digital realm is becoming an extension of political messaging, even for those physically detained.
India, with its staggering 800 million internet users, stands at the epicenter of the digital revolution. Political parties, particularly the BJP, have effectively harnessed social media influencers to engage with an electorate that is increasingly online. From memes to cartoons and viral campaigns, the internet was a space where narratives were shaped and mobilized. The BJP’s IT cell reportedly used sophisticated apps to collect and analyze voter data, aiming to predict and influence electoral outcomes.
Sri Lanka’s presidential election also saw the heavy use of social media, with candidates leveraging platforms to project idealized versions of themselves, often obscuring their true political positions. The rise of “polished personalities” in the digital sphere has raised concerns about the authenticity of political discourse in the region.
DIGITAL REPRESSION AND STATE CONTROL
With the rise in digital mobilization came an equally worrying trend: the increasing control of governments over online spaces. In Bangladesh, internet shutdowns and social media bans during the July protests were emblematic of how digital repression can be used as a tool to quell dissent.
For nearly two weeks, Bangladesh was plunged into an internet blackout, severing communications and allowing misinformation to spread unchecked. This strategy, while effective in suppressing protests, also undermined trust in the government’s commitment to democratic norms.
Pakistan followed suit, expanding its control over the internet with measures like platform bans and the implementation of a national firewall. The government’s efforts to block “unregistered VPNs” in November 2024 signaled an intent to clamp down even further on online dissent. The crackdown on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and the subsequent migration of users to Bluesky highlighted the cat-and-mouse game between authoritarian regimes and tech-savvy citizens.
India’s digital control mechanisms have also been intensifying, with a notable surge in website blocks under the IT Act, especially targeting independent media outlets and online speech deemed “unacceptable.” Thousands of websites were blocked in the past decade, with the 2024 election season marking an uptick in restrictions, a trend that critics argue is eroding India’s once-thriving digital democracy.
Sri Lanka introduced the Online Safety Act in January, granting the government broad powers to remove content and censor speech it deems harmful to the public order. The Asia Internet Coalition and Human Rights Watch opposed the law when it was introduced as a bill in September 2023.
Jeff Paine, managing director of the Asia Internet Coalition, argued that the bill (which is now a law passed by the Sri Lankan Parliament) would create a repressive system that suppresses free expression. Human Rights Watch criticized the bill for giving the Online Safety Commission broad powers to arbitrarily label online speech as “false” or “harmful,” remove content, restrict internet access and prosecute individuals or organizations.
CONCLUSION
In 2024, South Asia stood as a region of immense potential: home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, a young and dynamic population and an expanding digital landscape. However, it is also a region in deep political turmoil, where elections are increasingly manipulated, digital spaces are becoming instruments of repression and authoritarianism is on the rise.
The challenge for South Asia moving forward will be to reconcile its aspirations for economic growth and technological advancement with its commitment to democracy, civil rights and digital freedom.
As the events of 2024 have shown, the region’s future will be determined not just by economic policies and development programs but by the resilience of its democratic institutions and the ability of its citizens to fight for their freedoms, both online and offline.
Yead Mirza is a blogger, writer and observer of global current affairs.
OpEd Column Syndication 