Digital Regression
Digital technologies are increasingly being used by governments, and in particular authoritarian governments, to manipulate, surveil, and censor the public. Once considered a “liberation technology” that might enable citizen activism and protest, social media and other online platforms have evolved into sites of political contestation where state and non-state actors vie for influence, attention, and control. In this course, we explore the role of digital media in sustaining, moderating, and sometimes threatening authoritarian rule. By the end of the course, students will have acquired a better understanding of how digital technologies serve (or don’t serve) state objectives, as well as greater awareness of the interplay between digital media, politics, and civil society.

Matt DeButts is a PhD Candidate in Communication at Stanford University, and former LA Times correspondent based in Beijing, China./