The authors ask what factors determine the flow of unsanctioned information in authoritarian regimes, specifically in the context of North Korea. Their research aims to understand how the structure of social relations among citizens affects the acquisition and dissemination of politically unsanctioned and potentially illegal content offline. The study conducts a choice-based conjoint analysis on data gathered from 313 former North Korean residents to determine the role of social capital and trust in information flows. The article contributes to our understanding of how individuals in authoritarian societies access and share illicit foreign information, highlighting the importance of social capital and trust in shaping these information networks.

Ward, Peter, and Steven Denney. "How Autocracies Disrupt Unsanctioned Information Flows: The Role of State Power and Social Capital in North Korea." Problems of Post-Communism (2023).