Keeping an Eye on You: Digital Authoritarianism and Repression

• In Event: Authoritarian Power and Digital Media

Abstract

The advancement and development of information technology and artificial intelligence applications has had numerous benefits but has also provided an opportunity for authoritarian regimes to harness advanced technical capabilities to repress their populations. This paper is focused on answering the following questions; how is technology utilized to facilitate digital authoritarian practices and what impact does it have on democracy and civil society? We focus on examining the relationship between pervasive surveillance and internet censorship on indicators of democracy and civil society. We argue that technology can facilitate the repression of democratic development through direct and indirect mechanisms. We empirically test our argument by examining data on the diffusion of surveillance capabilities, internet censorship, and social media use.

Authors

• Robert Thuan Brathwaite, Michigan State University

• Cameron G. Thies, Michigan State University

• Baekkwan Park, University of Missouri