Researcher ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/
0000-0002-5835-515X
Graduation Year
2021
Date of Submission
12-2021
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Award
Best Senior Thesis in International Relations
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
International Relations
Reader 1
Professor Jennifer Taw
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
2021 Skyler H Sallick
Abstract
In an effort to reclaim agency in the global battle between digital democracy and digital authoritarianism, this thesis asks: What, if anything, can be done? Through a review of the current literature, it found that a singular technology can at once be liberatory while simultaneously serving to counter its own liberating potential. As a result, repressive regimes have been able to successfully push back against mass mobilization and quell efforts to bring greater transparency and accountability to systems of governance. The case of Egypt is used to explore mass mobilization and the right to freedom of expression before, during, and after the Egyptian Revolution through the lens of often flawed digital technology. Subsequently, the case of Tanzania is used to examine the potential for digital crowdsourcing platforms to provide accountability and transparency during elections in the face of increasing legal and technological limitations. These case studies enable the identification of a series of limiting factors contributing to the narrowing potential for digital technologies in democratic advocacy. Importantly, these case studies also allow for the identification of strategic opportunities for action. By using the limiting factors and opportunities identified in this thesis, it is found that deliberate action can be taken to promote a right-respecting digital framework that utilizes multi-lateral, cross-sectoral approaches to global governance and digital rights– even under the current limiting conditions.
Recommended Citation
Sallick, Skyler, "Liberation Technology in the Age of Digital Authoritarianism: Examining the Potential for Digital Technology to Promote Democratic Practice" (2021). CMC Senior Theses. 2823.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/2823
