Digital Authoritarianism: The Chinese Model and Beyond

The contemporary expansion of authoritarian regimes into digital platforms poses significant challenges to democratic values and human rights, including free speech. This chapter examines four methods through which governments carry out digital authoritarianism: mass surveillance, cyber-operations, censorship, and information operations, along with their potential implications for democratic society. By analyzing these through case studies, the study aims to identify the challenges in externally regulating Social Media Platforms—which empower government authorities—often resulting in authoritarian control in the jurisdictions like China, and Russia.