Digital Activism Within the Coptic Community in North America: New Transnational Opportunities or Emerging Threats?

Volume 14|Issue 53| Summer 2025 |Articles

Abstract

​This article critically examines the dual impact of digital technologies on the political agency of the Coptic diaspora, emphasizing both the opportunities and limitations posed by information and communication technologies (ICTs). Digital platforms have enhanced diaspora visibility, resource mobilization, and transnational activism, but they also introduce major risks, including misinformation, censorship, and surveillance. These growing challenges have hindered the diaspora’s ability to navigate power structures, reducing the effectiveness of advocacy efforts. The article argues that the drawbacks of digital activism now outweigh its initial benefits, creating new constraints on Coptic political influence. In light of these pressures, it calls for a reassessment of how diaspora groups can sustain activism in an increasingly hostile digital landscape.

Download Article Download Issue Cite this Article Subscribe for a year Cite this Article
Lilian Estafanous (Corresponding Author)ORCID

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

× Citation/Reference
Arab Center
Harvard
APA
Chicago