Civil society, or the “third sector” (after government and private business), comprises a wide range of affiliate groups and associations. These include informal social groups (like spiritual groups or sports clubs), large advocacy groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (like Amnesty International or faith-based organizations), and loosely organized professional communities such as the press or academia. In general, civil society functions as a public sphere, in which society collectively discusses, advocates for, and fulfills needs and values that may be underprovided by the public and private sectors [1]. Civil Society Organizations, a subset of NGOs, serve a critical role by ensuring that their communities can peacefully organize to have their needs and concerns addressed.

Information technology (IT) has radically altered how people learn, communicate, and share ideas. New information communications technologies (ICTs) have altered the balance of power between formal levers of authority and the popular will, as expressed through civil society. They have played a well-publicized role in rousing social upheavals around the world, from the Color Revolutions and the Arab Spring to the use of micro-targeted2 misinformation campaigns to sway elections