Social Media and Risks to Digital Freedom: A Conversation with Ronald J. Deibert

Power 3.0 | Authoritarian Resurgence, Democratic Resilience

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Ronald J. Deibert discusses the dramatic shift in perceptions of social media, which principally have been seen as providing space for free expression, democratic mobilization, and citizen empowerment. Increasingly, however, a more problematic underside of social media has come into view that may have the effect of fueling authoritarianism. Ronald J. Deibert is a Professor of Political Science and Director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto. Christopher Walker, NED vice president for studies and analysis, and Shanthi Kalathil, senior director of NED’s International Forum for Democratic Studies, cohost the conversation. For more on this topic, read Ronald J. Deibert’s Journal of Democracy article, “The Road to Digital Unfreedom: Three Painful Truths About Social Media.” The views expressed in this podcast represent the opinions and analysis of the participants and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for Democracy or its staff.