Cross-Cultural Social Media Cybersecurity Governance in the Middle East

Abstract

Social media platforms have evolved into critical socio-technical infrastructures through which communication, information exchange, and civic engagement increasingly occur. As these platforms scale globally, they create persistent exposure to cyber risks that extend beyond isolated technical vulnerabilities to include behavioural dynamics and governance limitations. This study examines social media cybersecurity through a cross-cultural lens, focusing on the Middle East, a region characterised by rapid digital adoption, evolving regulatory frameworks, and diverse socio-cultural contexts. Drawing on a structured synthesis of threat intelligence, behavioural cybersecurity research, and governance literature, the analysis integrates three analytical dimensions: structural misalignments between platform design and regulatory safeguards, cross-cultural variation in digital literacy and institutional preparedness, and challenges in operationalising legal and ethical accountability.
The findings show that cybersecurity risk emerges from the interaction of these dimensions rather than from failures within any single domain. Platform architectures create persistent exposure conditions, user behaviour mediates how risk materialises across populations, and governance frameworks constrain the translation of regulatory ambition into enforceable safeguards. Building on these insights, the paper proposes a cross-cultural social media cybersecurity governance model that conceptualises risk management as a multi-layered process spanning users, institutions, platforms, and regulators, offering policy and governance implications for strengthening accountability and resilience in rapidly evolving digital environments.