Category: Timely Commentary & Analysis

Recap: Can technology kill democracy?

On Monday June 14, the Fondation Tocqueville with the support of the Atlantic Council and Le Figaro, along with their partners the French-American Foundation and Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom presented a virtual public event debate on the impact and potential dangers of technology on democracy and democratic systems.

China’s anti-foreign sanctions law: Companies in the crosshairs

By Hung Tran

On June 10, 2021, China’s National People’s Congress passed the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law. This has raised the complexity and risk of doing business globally, especially as sanctions and counter-sanctions are likely to proliferate in the intensifying US-China strategic competition.

Climate change, energy security, and international nuclear energy: Competition in the Czech Republic

By Robert F. Ichord, Jr.

Recent reports of Russian intelligence operations in the Czech Republic in 2014 have escalated tensions between the two countries, directly affecting the Czech government's plans for the future development of its nuclear sector. In light of this changing dynamic, President Biden should work to support Czech energy security and act to weaken Russia’s position in Central and Eastern European nuclear power markets.

US Rep. Tom Malinowski: The evolution of big tech and social media places strain on democracies worldwide

By Atlantic Council

"If the United States is going to do its part to win this contest [between democracy and authoritarianism], we’ve got to be aligned with others around the world who share our values. One country alone, even as powerful as America, can’t do this by ourselves," Malinowski told the DFRLab's 360/Open Summit.

Maria Ressa, Nanjala Nyabola, and Katherine Maher on why social media is—and is not—a global public square

By Atlantic Council

Is social media a global digital public square? The DFRLab's 360/Open Summit gathered Maria Ressa, Nanjala Nyabola, and Katherine Maher to discuss platforms' role in the online world.

Hong Kong activist Nathan Law on how virtual communities empower citizen movements

By Atlantic Council

The internet has created a virtual community of democracy activists that supports movements and broadcasts voices around the world. Nathan Law describes why he thinks it shapes citizen movements in Hong Kong.

Ashish Jha: Doctors must train for the new battlefield of information—social media

By Atlantic Council

This fireside chat between Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, and Renee DiResta, research manager of the Stanford Internet Observatory, explored the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 “infodemic” and how the misinformation research community can work with health professionals to restore and protect public trust.

On World Refugee Day, we must choose action over words to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

By Imrul Islam

Two decades after it began, and 70 years since the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, World Refugee Day must be more than words. It must be a catalyst for urgent action to address the rights of people forced to flee.