Episode 9: The Digital Age: A Threat to Democracy?

The Digital Age has brought manifold benefits to the world in the twenty-first century. However, it is arguable that one of its drawbacks is the use that governments are now able to make of digital technology in ways that could be counted as undermining to democracy. Here, we discuss this very topic as well as some other related ones.

Show Notes/Fact Checks:

-We stated an article by the Washington Post was block by Facebook and Twitter, when in fact it was an article from the New York Post (https://www.npr.org/2020/10/14/923766097/facebook-and-twitter-limit-sharing-new-york-post-story-about-joe-biden)

-In this episode we stated granted protection for platforms to not be responsible for what their users do. This is only partly true. Section 230 does not completely absolve platforms from responsibility as long as they take reasonable steps to delete or prevent access the offended content (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_230#impact)

-It was Taiwan rather then Thailand that engaged in aggressive contact tracing practices (https://www.businessinsider.com/taiwan-coronavirus-surveillance-masks-china-2020-6)

-The 2004 apology before Congress was delivered by Richard Clarke as part of the 9/11 Commission (Your Government Failed You: Richard Clarke at the September 11 Commission on Counterterrorism (2004) - YouTube)

-The name of H. R. McMaster's new book is Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World (Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World: McMaster, H. R.: 9780062899460: Amazon.com: Books)

Sources:

- Sony Hack - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Pictures_hack

- Computer Security Act - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Security_Act_of_1987

- Algorithm Bias - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithmic_bias#Racial_and_ethnic_discrimination

- Section 230 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_230

- "Is a democratic surveillance state possible?" - Washington Post

- "State surveillance and the COVID-19 crisis" - Full article: State surveillance and the COVID-19 crisis (tandfonline.com)

- "Surveillance, Security, and Liberal Democracy in the Post-COVID World" - Surveillance, Security, and Liberal Democracy in the Post-COVID World | International Organization | Cambridge Core

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