Digital Authoritarianism: From State Control to Algorithmic Despotism

Technology can be seen as a force for freedom, but today, it also can be used as a tool for control. This talk explores digital authoritarianism, where governments and tech companies use the Internet to shape what we see, track what we do, and even cut off global connections. Professor G’sell will share examples from China and Russia and show how similar tactics appear in democracies and big tech platforms. The discussion will engage with a critical question: could the very design of digital systems make authoritarian control inevitable?

Florence G’sell is a visiting professor of private law at the Cyber Policy Center, where she leads the Program on Governance of Emerging Technologies. She also holds the Digital, Governance, and Sovereignty Chair at Sciences Po (France) and is a professor of private law at the University of Lorraine (currently on leave).