Warfare Discussion Podcast: The Emergence of Digital Suppression Techniques
In the latest episode of the Irregular Warfare Podcast, hosts Matt Moellering and Julia McClenon are joined by Steven Feldstein, author of "The Rise of Digital Repression: How Technology is Reshaping Power, Politics, and Resistance," and John Tullius, a retired CIA agent now teaching classes on intelligence at the Naval Postgraduate School.
The episode delves into the intersection of information warfare with digital repression, a form of control that authoritarian regimes use in online environments.
Authoritarian regimes employ advanced surveillance tools, AI-based profiling, internet censorship, social media manipulation, and cyber laws that criminalize dissent. Examples of this can be seen in countries like China and Russia, where AI-powered surveillance and facial recognition are used to monitor citizens and identify dissidents precisely. Pervasive internet censorship and social media controls, including shutdowns and targeted content removal, are also common tactics to suppress free expression. Broad cybersecurity laws are used to silence opposing voices and legitimize repression under the guise of digital order, as seen in Zambia.
Digital repression also extends to the export of repressive technologies, such as China’s so-called "smart cities" and AI tools, to other authoritarian governments. Doxxing, metadata analysis, and spyware like Pegasus are used to target human rights defenders, activists, and marginalized groups precisely.
In response, resistance groups adapt by creating social media campaigns that amplify suppressed voices, such as Iran’s "My Stealthy Freedom," which circulated videos of women without hijabs to expose abuses. They also use virtual private networks (VPNs) and encrypted messaging to evade surveillance and internet blackouts. Collaboration with international civic organizations and tech activists to develop tools that bypass censorship and promote transparency is another strategy employed by resistance movements. Adapting to repression through decentralized, grassroots digital activism that leverages the accessibility of social media despite government crackdowns is another effective response.
The full episode of the Irregular Warfare Podcast discussing the impact of digital repression on democracy can be listened to below. The episode can be subscribed to on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app. It can also be shared on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, sent via email, or printed. The episode's image credit is dahorsburgh.
In conclusion, authoritarian digital repression blends high-tech surveillance, legal repression, and platform manipulation to control information and protest, while resistance movements innovate continuously to preserve digital spaces for free expression and mobilization.
- The use of advanced technology in warfare, such as AI-based profiling and internet censorship, is a significant concern in the realm of cybersecurity, particularly in war-and-conflicts and politics, where authoritarian regimes employ these tools to repress dissent, as discussed in the Irregular Warfare Podcast.
- The export of repressive technologies, like China's AI tools, contributes to digital repression in other authoritarian governments, posing a threat to general-news and human rights, as demonstrated by the targeting of human rights defenders and activists.
- In response to digital repression, resistance groups employ innovative strategies such as social media campaigns, virtual private networks (VPNs), encrypted messaging, and collaboration with international civic organizations and tech activists to maintain digital spaces for free expression and mobilization, a key aspect of democracy.
