When relief valves leak: directed digital dissidence, curated networks, and critical information exposure across media systems

Abstract

This study examines how curated digital networks—intentionally shaped information environments influenced by homophily, selective avoidance, and algorithmic feedback—are associated with political learning in semi-authoritarian regimes. Using original survey data from three post-Soviet countries, we explore how these networks interact with political interest and media habits in relation to exposure to regime-critical content. Individuals embedded in curated digital networks report greater exposure to dissent on social media, higher political news consumption on television, and greater perceived televised criticism of the government—even in contexts where legacy media is tightly controlled. Importantly, when we directly test a core implication of Directed Digital Dissidence (DDD)—that criticism is strategically channeled toward local actors while shielding central authorities—we find limited evidence of a pronounced local–central gradient. Instead, digital exposure is associated with perceptions of both local and central criticism. These findings suggest that curated networks may diffuse critical awareness across hierarchical targets rather than reinforce hierarchical containment. Country-level differences are minimal; individual-level dynamics—particularly network curation and digital exposure—play a more central role. Together, the results complicate assumptions about authoritarian information control and demonstrate how bottom-up digital curation can reshape political awareness across media platforms.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Frontiers in Communication, 2026 · DOI ↗