Challenges in Establishing a Digital Democracy

Is it still possible for technology to drive democratic reform and transformation?

, and Administrator

2025 September 8 . 1:59 AM

2 min read

Challenges in Establishing a Digital Democracy

In the digital age, the global internet is a battleground for freedom and control. The United States and Europe are fighting to preserve an open, global internet that protects the ability of individuals to produce, broadcast, and access content as they choose. This stands in stark contrast to the tactics employed by countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who use spyware to target independent journalists and human rights activists.

The landscape of internet governance is complex and dynamic, with many countries showing inclinations in both directions. Nations like Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and South Africa have the capacity to influence broader shifts. China and Russia, however, push for an extreme form of "cyber sovereignty," allowing countries to decide how their citizens use the internet, potentially abrogating international norms of free expression and free association.

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated concerns about infringements of civil liberties and derogations of privacy, with state responses in both autocracies and illiberal democracies raising alarm. Meanwhile, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have been accused of fundamentally damaging political discourse by amplifying misinformation and facilitating hate speech.

Researchers have exposed the sophisticated digital capabilities that enable governments to enact widespread surveillance and implement information controls. Open source digital investigations have played a crucial role in identifying perpetrators of atrocities, such as the downing of Malaysian airliner MH17, documenting state-incited hate speech in Myanmar, and revealing how Iraqi security forces deployed lethal tear gas grenades against unarmed protestors.

Countries with a tendency toward authoritarianism, including China, Russia, and some Eastern European regimes, are characterized by extensive capacities for surveillance, monitoring dissent, filtering unwanted content, spreading misinformation, or even shutting down information. Authorities in Argentina, Kenya, Pakistan, and Serbia have contracted with Chinese firms to build surveillance-heavy "safe cities."

Experts decry how autocrats manipulate online narratives to consolidate power, while in democracies, there is a growing embrace of sophisticated surveillance tactics, often lacking oversight or safeguards. The political impact of digital technology is a contested arena, with citizen activists devising creative solutions to counter a rising tide of repression.

Activists in Armenia and Sudan, for instance, rallied supporters online to end two long-standing repressive regimes. The once-heralded "liberation technology" is still seen as empowering a new generation of activists, despite the challenges they face. In this digital battlefield, the struggle for freedom and control continues.