Media Releases

The Internet was supposed to foster democracy. China has different ideas.

July 11, 2016

Washington Post | July 11, 2016

Indeed, social media is increas­ing­ly being har­nessed by auto­crat­ic regimes to bol­ster their rule, says Uni­ver­si­ty of Toron­to polit­i­cal sci­en­tist Seva Gunit­sky. It helps dic­ta­tor­ships gauge pub­lic opin­ion and dis­cov­er oth­er­wise hid­den griev­ances, while also allow­ing them to dis­sem­i­nate pro­pa­gan­da and shape the con­tours of pub­lic debate. Read more.