Reading through hundreds of pages describing the innocuous behaviour of citizens exercising their democratic rights to protest raises questions of proportionality. Also, isn’t this a waste of police time?
Polarisation is wiping out all independent or dissenting voices. Yemeni intellectuals are constantly at risk of acts of violent intimidation, arrest or assassination. Français
The threat of terrorism has been exploited to justify anti-democratic laws and an escalation of arrests and detentions, apparently more focused on silencing dissent than anything else.
This excerpt from the surveillance expert’s account of Surveillance after Snowden asks whether societies that permit mass surveillance at the expense of privacy are undermining the very possibility of politics.
“We need to call in question how, as a society, we allow our security and democracy to be defined.”
The increased social media use in the Gulf might signify some progress for its citizens, but the extent to which it empowers them is greatly outweighed by state surveillance through the same vehicle.
We must recognise dissent as a bedrock of a healthy society, without which there can be no creativity, innovation, disruption, progress and - crucially - democracy.
The UK Government’s Prevent strategy has led to official claims that mistrust of mainstream media and anger about government policies can be symptomatic of violent extremism.
A recent judgment by the European Court of Human Rights carries important lessons for any government gearing up for a reform of its communications surveillance laws.
“As leaders, we have to overcome all of our historical, political, cultural divides and work towards building trust between communities.” Interview.
