>People in the West don't understand how much of an advantage social media has been in countries where media was always controlled by corrupt businessmen or politicians.

You severely overestimate the independence and faux-organic nature of "western" social media. Every last aspect of it is controlled by "corrupt businessmen or politicians".

If you're in "the east", wishing for a system like in "the west", be careful of what you hope for and be cautious of what you actually build.