How democracies clamped down on the Internet

Electoral democracies do not normally clamp down on the Internet simply to prevent dissent, the way autocratic regimes like China or Myanmar do (though in Thailand’s case, that is part of the rationale). They more often crack down to fight terrorism, protect national security, and combat offensive and hateful content.

But the result of these clampdowns can be severe, with online writers or bloggers being arrested — and, compared to openly repressive regimes such as China or North Korea, their effects may be more insidious. Where these countries have a history of supporting free speech and freedom of the press, the crackdown on the Web as it emerges as our newest and most vibrant public square represents a significant step backward. In some cases, as in Turkey, clampdowns on freedom on the Web may portend greater clampdowns on all types of freedom of the press and expression. As the Internet becomes the predominant way people publish and share news and information, censorship threatens the innovation that has been a hallmark of these electoral democracies. And, perhaps most disturbing, the crackdowns mean that even as democracies try to insist that authoritarian governments lower their firewalls and honor free expression, they are losing any moral authority on the issue by abandoning that ideal themselves.