Our review focuses on the different network layers that can be used for interference. In using a (simplified) technology-centered structure for our discussion, we do not mean to suggest that these are the only means of authoritarian influence over the internet. Most regimes rely also on political and legal measures to regulate the provision of telecommunication services and the actors involved. However, once internet services are available to large segments of the population—which is now the case in the vast majority of countries worldwide—internet control usually means tampering with the network infrastructure, the data traffic, and the content being transmitted. After our review of the literature, we conclude our essay with a discussion of the theoretical and empirical challenges that future research in this field should address.
