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Technology is deeply interwoven into almost every aspect of modern life. Much of this technology has at least the potential for positive impacts in terms of human connectedness and democratization; indeed, Global Voices is built on the premise that we can use the digital connectivity of the internet to share stories, build empathy, and create community across both physical and cultural-linguistic distances. 

But the same dynamics that concentrate power and wealth in the world have led to the massive accumulation of Big Tech: corporations so large, so multinational, and so entangled in the functioning of what we have come to consider basic services of communications — from telcos and internet providers to social media and other platforms for communication — that they have disproportionate power and influence over governments as well as over the lives, attention, and finances of individual people. 

One of the driving forces behind Global Voices has long been the questions of digital authoritarianism, or how these companies enable, empower, and enact oppression in the digital world and beyond. In October’s Spotlight, “Big tech and authoritarianism,” we want to update and reinforce our coverage of this dynamic with reporting and insights from all of our regions. With these stories, we aim to pull back the camouflage that Big Tech uses to obscure their connection with oppressive governments, and to highlight cases of technological authoritarianism — and resistance — around the world.