The uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, and elsewhere have been credited in part to the creative use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Yet the information policies of the firms behind social media can inhibit activists and empower authoritarian regimes. Analysis of Facebook's response to Egypt's ''We Are All Khaled Said'' group, YouTube's policy exemption for videos coming from Syria, Moroccan loyalist response to the online presence of atheists, and the activities of the Syrian Electronic Army illustrate how prohibitions on anonymity, community policing practices, campaigns from regime loyalists, and counterinsurgency tactics work against democracy advocates. These problems arise from the design and governance challenges facing large-scale, revenue-seeking social media enterprises.

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In 2004, the United States launched an Arabic language satellite television station, Al-Hurra ('the free one'). As a mass media outlet designed to enhance American geopolitical influence, it is considered one manifestation of a 'soft power' strategy. Soft power, however, is only effective to the extent that it can rely on 'willing interpreters and receivers'. This article considers humor in Al-Hurra's workplace and among its intended audience as a gauge of the availability of such interpreters and receivers. Humor, this article contends, reflects greater political discourses and attitudes, and therefore outlines the limits to American soft power in Arab regions.

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