This report investigates the ways in which governments aim to co-opt new and emerging digital technologies to forward their agendas, and what impact that might have on citizens’ civil liberties. The ease with which governments can exploit such powerful systems is a viable cause for concern. When digital technologies are integrated into government operations, there is a risk of overreach, discrimination and the erosion of civil liberties. Without robust regulations and oversight, illiberal digital practices can ensue, some of which we define as monitoring and tracking individuals’ online activities, targeting specific populations based on race, religion or political affiliations, and suppressing dissenting voices.
Commissioned by MEP Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield.
