Internet and Social Media in Algeria

Abstract

This chapter presents a historical and critical perspective on the Internet and social media in Algeria as they evolved in the context of totalitarianism that characterized the Algerian regime until recently. It surveys milestones in Internet and social media history, laws and regulations, and their social and political functions in Algeria. The chapter shows that the Internet and social media in Algeria experienced steady expansion in terms of users and functions in the last few years, with a telecommunications market that has very strong development potential. The telecommunications sector in Algeria has undergone a major transformation. It went from a situation where the state held the monopoly to one where several operators (public and private) positioned themselves and tried to impose themselves. The chapter concludes that the rapid breakthrough of social media and, in general, the Internet in the country is therefore less synonymous with the democratization of public space than with the fragmentation of authority, which, surprisingly, can contribute to creating a unitary dynamic in a context of protest emulation.