Colm Lehane
But even as global democracy overall may now be moving in the right direction after a long period of reversal, the growing challenge from the misuse of technology remains. For instance, the proliferation of commercial spyware and the spread of online harassment and abuse have become a particular challenge for democracies looking to protect their institutions and the sensitive data of their citizens against potential threats. This was reiterated by Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to President Biden for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, when she said that while “data has the power to drive solutions to some of our biggest shared challenges, but much of that data is sensitive and needs to be protected”. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken referenced the continuing spread of “disinformation” on social media platforms and its impact on democracy and political discourse in general. He repeated President Biden’s call to “hold platforms accountable” for activities, while USAID Director Samantha Power even announced that her agency will help to defend democratic values through “pre-bunking efforts that train communities to recognise the tell-tale signs of information abuse”.
