The Increasing Demand for Democratic Rights Online: A Case Study From Sri Lanka
Photo by Kris Thomas
social media
CIMA Q&A with Yohannes Eneyew Ayalew: The Dangers of Media “Ethnification” in Ethiopia
As a civil war fought along regional and ethnic lines rages in Ethiopia, similar lines of conflict have been drawn across the country’s media sector. Ethiopia’s ethnicized politics are seeping into the media sector, with media houses aligned with a single linguistic group promoting narratives that deepen political polarization. In an interview with CIMA, Ethiopian legal scholar and 2020 Open Internet for Democracy Leader Yohannes Eneyew Ayalew discusses this issue of media “ethnification” in Ethiopia.
How Big Tech’s Content Moderation Policies Could Jeopardize Users in Authoritarian Regimes
Social media advocates have historically lauded its ability to facilitate democratic progress by connecting people over space and time, enabling faster and wider mobilization than ever before. However, in recent years, this optimism has faded, and platforms have also become effective tools for dictators looking to spread disinformation and propaganda. Today, the social media ecosystem is a hotly contested sphere of political influence rife with disinformation, hate speech, and even violence.