Policy Report
Digital Authoritarianism and Nonviolent Action: Challenging the Digital Counterrevolution
United States Institute of Peace Special Report 499, 2021
Nonviolent Resistance Digital Authoritarianism
Abstract
Nonviolent action campaigns are one of the most common ways citizens seek to peacefully change nonresponsive political systems. Yet recently developed and emergent technologies are transforming the nature of interactions between activists and authoritarian governments. This report examines the increasingly sophisticated set of tools—such as facial recognition and surveillance of social media platforms—authoritarian regimes are using to stifle nonviolent movements, and provides recommendations for how policymakers and activists can develop creative strategies for overcoming digital authoritarianism.