Author: Rafal Rohozinski | Journal of Democracy

Rafal Rohozinski is a principal with the SecDev Group and former director of the Advanced Network Research Group of the Cambridge Security Programme. He is cofounder, with Ronald Deibert, of the Information Warfare Monitor and the OpenNet Initiative. The following essay is adapted from their “Cyber Wars” in the Index on Censorship (Sage, 2010), available at www.indexoncensorship.org.

October 2010, Volume 21, Issue 4

Liberation vs. Control: The Future of Cyberspace

Ronald J. Deibert
Rafal Rohozinski

Are technologies giving greater voice to democratic activists in authoritarian societies, or more powerful tools to their oppressors?

Liberation Technology

Marc F. Plattner
Larry Diamond

"Liberation technology" can help mobilize citizen protest and oust autocracies. Authoritarians can also use technology to stifle protest and target dissenters. Who will win the technological race between "netizens" demanding freedom and authoritarians determined to stay in power?