The study examines whether the decline of Arab network activism is driven by the rise of digital authoritarianism through which regimes have reasserted control over online spaces or by increasing self-restraint among users shaped by fears of surveillance. It highlights how "technologies of the self" have become intertwined with authoritarian structures in the post–Arab Spring era, reinforced by narratives of algorithmic tracking, data collection, and data exchange between states and corporations. The study finds that this decline stems from three intersecting mechanisms: algorithmic, impersonal systems of control; user self-discipline rooted in fear; and participatory authoritarianism exercised by technological and political elites who shape content flows and public opinion. It further shows that surveillance now operates through a subtle form of collusion in which users participate voluntarily. This dynamic has weakened collective action and deepened digital authoritarianism, though a narrow margin remains for leveraging technical knowledge to resist surveillance capitalism.​​