In recent years, international institutions have become an increasingly critical arena of contestation between autocracies and democracies. China, in particular, has leveraged its participation in those institutions and relationships with autocratic regimes to proffer narratives that support authoritarian models of governance and hide its human rig…

February 2024 marks two years since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the midst of this crisis, the world has learned much from Ukrainians about countering authoritarian information operations. The Forum highlighted Ukrainian civil society’s resilience in a 2023 report, “Shielding Democracy: Civil Society Adaptations to K…

Authoritarian influence in multilateral institutions is growing rapidly and poses a serious threat to democratic and human rights principles. Repressive governments have worked to undermine mechanisms that are meant to ensure accountability for human rights abuses and to transform the United Nations, its related bodies, and other international inst…

As the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has become more authoritarian and closed to the world in recent years, its global influence has risen even more rapidly. Civil society and other democratic institutions around the world must grapple with the PRC’s malign influence in many domains, including the information, technology, economic, and political…

In 2016, Mauritius announced the launch of a “safe city” project—a public-security initiative deploying cameras and other advanced digital technologies from the controversial PRC-based vendor Huawei. Shrouded in opacity and set up outside standard oversight mechanisms, the project raises the specter of surveillance and digital control in the countr…

Angola has long been ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world. Although many hoped the Southern African country would improve its good governance and human rights record when long-time autocrat Jose dos Santos stepped down, deep kleptocratic networks persist. In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Rafael Marques discus…

Like other autocratic actors, the Kremlin deploys disinformation to confuse the public, attract allies, escape accountability, and strengthen its hold on power. Yet a documented intensification of disinformation operations around the invasion of Ukraine has failed to sway Ukrainians, whose overwhelming support for self-determination has only risen …

Through tools such as facial recognition cameras and social media monitoring software, artificial intelligence (AI) is offering governments new ways to keep tabs on people’s conversations, movements, and activities. Advocates warn that in the absence of clear-cut rules, these new capabilities could erode the rule of law in some settings and deepen …

Russia’s war in Ukraine highlighted the transnational impact of kleptocracy in financing and empowering autocratic regimes. Russian oligarchs living abroad were sanctioned and stepped down from the boards of influential Western institutions, and other measures were taken to choke off this transnational, supercharged form of corruption. In this epis…

Welcome back to the Power 3.0 podcast! Here at Power 3.0, we explore how new forms of authoritarian influence are reshaping the contest over democratic values. On monthly episodes, we’ll be talking with remarkable guests about their expertise and personal experiences. You’ll hear from civil society activists, journalists, researchers, and other lea…

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, International Forum program officer Dean Jackson interviews three experts about how COVID-19 has accelerated disinformation challenges that undermine the integrity of the information space, and how public officials, civil society actors, and technology platforms can facilitate more effective communication o…

In this episode, featured guest Mareike Ohlberg discusses how the Chinese Communist Party targets decision makers abroad through a mix of coercive, corrupting, and censorship-inducing strategies, with the aim of influencing narratives about the Party’s domestic and international legitimacy. Mareike Ohlberg is a senior fellow in the Asia Program at …

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Claire Wardle discusses how the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation has disrupted the global media space and offers suggestions for how journalists, media, digital platforms, and other civil society organizations can respond more effectively while preserving free expression and …

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Jamie Fly discusses mounting pressures facing independent media outlets around the world, ranging from intensifying economic constraints resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, to increased competition from ambitious authoritarian and illiberal actors taking advantage of the crisis. Jamie Fly i…

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Lucrezia Poggetti discusses the evolving dynamics of Beijing’s influence operations in the European Union—and in her own native Italy—in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how various European audiences have reacted to China’s “mask diplomacy.” Lucrezia Poggetti is an analyst at…

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Samuel Woolley discusses how human psychology helps drive individuals to share, consume, and believe disinformation, how these processes are already impacting politics globally, and how emerging technologies might exacerbate the challenge. Samuel Woolley is an assistant professor at UT-Austin…

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Natalia Antelava discusses innovative approaches to reporting on two dual trends—the disinformation crisis and the impact of authoritarian technologies—in an increasingly crowded and noisy global information space. Natalia Antelava is co-founder and editor in chief of the award-winning media …

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Miranda Patrucic discusses how the cross-border networking of investigative journalists can be an effective tool for countering the challenge of modern transnational kleptocracy by following the money across international borders. Miranda Patrucic is an investigative reporter and regional edi…

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Sam Gregory discusses how synthetic media produced by artificial intelligence, often referred to as “deepfakes,” may soon be used by malicious actors to undermine democracy—and how civil society can prepare for this challenge. Sam Gregory is program director of WITNESS, where he has led a ser…

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Tutu Alicante discusses the transnational elements of Equatorial Guinea’s kleptocracy, including its impact on regional and international institutions, and how coalitions of transnational civil society groups can respond. Tutu Alicante is the founding executive director of EG Justice and auth…

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Peter Pomerantsev discusses how changes in the modern information environment have been exploited by malign actors and facilitated the spread of disinformation around the world. Peter Pomerantsev is a senior visiting fellow and co-director of the Arena program at the Institute of Global Affai…

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Marietje Schaake discusses why democracy and human rights matter for the development and application of emerging technologies and offers ideas for identifying and establishing democratic governance norms in the context of the current technology revolution. Marietje Schaake is a former member …

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Oliver Bullough discusses how transnational kleptocracy—the process by which illicit money is stolen in one location, laundered through anonymous off-shore vehicles, and spent in jurisdictions where it is safe from interference—corrodes democratic and rules-based institutions. Oliver Bullough…

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Martin Hala discusses the impact of China's economic and political investments in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe, revealing these investments' surprising ability to influence and impact governance institutions in the region and beyond. Martin Hala is a sinologi…

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Samantha Hoffman discusses how China’s authorities, driven by a preemptive concern for managing state security, are employing new technologies to augment authoritarianism, with consequences that extend far beyond China’s borders. Dr. Samantha Hoffman is a Fellow at the Australian Strategic Po…