Digital Authoritarianism: Platforms, Power, and Institutions

Digital authoritarianism thrives in the pipes and platforms that carry our information: algorithmic ranking systems, data‑broker markets, AI content engines, content‑moderation pipelines, and even the on/off switches of connectivity. This roundtable unpacks those mechanisms; how they can suppress access to information, distort public discourse, and undermine institutional trust, and then co‑designs practical responses that advance SDG 16 (access to information; accountable, inclusive institutions).

Participants will learn to identify common manipulation patterns (from deepfakes to down‑ranking), verify content with accessible tools, and apply community‑anchored strategies (media & information literacy, transparency asks, emergency connectivity protocols).

(We will close the roundtable discussion by drafting a one‑page “Principles & Actions” brief and a starter schema for a Carter School digital harms knowledge base.)

Speakers: 

• Dr. Marcus Michaelsen, PhD., Co‑author of the definitive 2024 Oxford Handbook chapter on Digital Authoritarianism
• Dr. Kris Ruijgrok, PhD., examines how tech companies’ tools are used within digital repression strategies
• Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra, PhD., Ethical AI governance, AI governance intersects with digital authoritarian risks
• Dr. Peter Pomerantsev, PhD., 2025 Digital Authoritarianism Practitioner’s Guide, YALE
• Marwa Fatafta, Access NOW, MENA Policy Lead
• Peter Guest, Investigations Editor, Rest of World
• Doug Madory, Director of Internet Analysis, Kentik