According to Freedom House, internet freedom has declined for the 11th consecutive year in 2021. However, autocratic states not only restrict freedom internally, but they increasingly try to use the systemic openness of democratic states for their own purposes for instance through globally orchestrated disinformation campaigns to destabilize democratic societies. At the same time, democratic societies are considering how they can defend themselves against foreign influences in the digital space. Together with 32 other countries, the U.S. and the EU recently signed the “Declaration on the Future of the Internet” to advocate for a free and open Internet.
Against this backdrop, the Aspen Institute Germany, together with Microsoft Berlin, is hosting a two-part workshop series with international experts from politics, business, academia, and civil society on digital operations in war times. Will digital technologies promote democracy or harm it? What can and should states, business and civil society do to strengthen digital democracy and defend it against autocracy? How can democracies arm themselves against cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns?
