Digital authoritarianism in the Global South and East (Austria)

The global decline in political rights and civil liberties has coincided with the expanding reach of the internet (Dragu & Lupu, 2021). This Workshop examines how emerging digital platforms, practices, and policies help entrench authoritarianism, or exacerbate democratic backsliding, in regions where the majority of humanity resides, including Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America. The Workshop maps the transforming terrain of digital authoritarianism (Schlumberger et al., 2024), from internet shutdowns and online censorship to surveillance, disinformation, and participatory propaganda. It also elucidates how data justice and civil rights activists are developing strategies to resist such authoritarianism.