My office is committed to working with federal, state and local governments, the private sector, universities, as well as with our foreign partners to counter the threats posed by foreign adversaries. It does not matter whether we see digital media as a causal factor no account of the events in Egypt would be complete without a reference to the #jan25 hashtag on Twitter or the “We are all Khaled Said” site on Facebook (see Chapter 5). networks against attempts by foreign threat actors or malicious insiders to steal or compromise our sensitive data, information, and assets. (U) Russias attack on the 2016 election was a calculated and brazen assault on the.
Decentralized networks on top of real-time communication systems enabled activists to level the playing field against authoritarian regimes that previously had taken full advantage of their control over the official media and showed an unfettered capacity to repress any sign of dissent. Yet, at the same time, digital technologies are a severe threat to democracies globally and our democratic practices. Only social media offered disgruntled citizens the possibility of taking their discontent to the streets. Digital solutions can promote human rights, enhance people’s engagement and make democratic institutions stronger and more responsive.
In the wake of the protests and demonstrations in North Africa and the Middle East that we discussed in Chapter 5, the dominant public narrative portrayed social media as the keystone that enabled the opposition to coordinate a challenge to otherwise seemingly unwavering autocracies. Two episodes from 20 bookend public expectations regarding the role of digital media in politics.