Shadow attorney-general raises eyebrows looking to ideas from Singapore's justice system But Chiaka Barry says she doesn't back the death penalty like the city-state. The Canberra Times · Jul 12
Does the World Cup favor democratic or autocratic nations? I did some number crunching to find out It is often said – by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and many others – that soccer is the “most democratic sport.” That sentiment is based in large part on the sport’s global appeal and long history of popularity across class and racial lines. The Conversation · Jun 26
Turkish democracy on trial: how Erdoğan’s rule has undermined justice and weakened his rivals There has been unrest across Turkey after an appeals court annulled the results of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) 2023 leadership election, deposing the popular winner Özgür Özel. The Conversation · Jun 1
Barnes & Noble CEO clarifies the bookseller’s stance on AI-written books after refusing to ban them: ‘This is a straightforward rejection of AI books’ James Daunt told Fortune the responsibility to decide on what AI-generated means lies with the publisher, not the seller. Fortune · May 22
Authoritarians, strongmen and dictators: who is on Trump’s Board of Peace? Representatives of repressive regimes from around the world are flying to Washington for the inaugural meeting of the body The Guardian - UK · Feb 19
Fact check: International data on ‘online comments’ arrests not comparable Figures shared online could range from data on Russian prosecutions in 2017 to freedom of information requests in England and Wales for 2023. Evening Standard · Jan 14
Thanks To Trump, America Is Reportedly Moving In The Direction Of 'Autocracy' Experts and democracy indices say the US is showing measurable signs of autocratisation. Court files, White House directives and watchdog reports detail how policy and prosecutions are reshaping American governance. International Business Times UK · Dec 12, 2025
The 'Free' World Is Coming for Your Private Messages Nobody expects China or Iran to protect privacy. But as seen in the European debate over chat control, even nominally free countries are becoming intrusive when it comes to the digital world. Reason · Dec 1, 2025
Global internet freedoms deteriorated (again) in 2025 - Germany, Georgia & US lost ground According to Freedom House, the internet is more controlled and manipulated than ever before. And democracies aren't immune. TechRadar · Nov 15, 2025
Venezuela's Maduro Claims TikTok and Instagram Are Part of 'Active Conspiracy' Against His Regime Venezuela's authoritarian 'President Nicolás Maduro accused TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms of participating in what he called an "active conspiracy" and "psychological war" against his regime Latin Times · Nov 14, 2025
From age verification to weakening encryption: 2025 saw a decline in online anonymity everywhere Internet freedoms have worsened for the 15th consecutive year, according to Freedom House's new report. And VPNs are increasingly a target. TechRadar · Nov 14, 2025
Nepal social media crackdown is part of a global censorship trend, say experts. Do VPNs help? Global internet freedom declined for the 14th consecutive year last year. Euronews · Sep 9, 2025
Nepal internet crackdown part of global trend toward suppressing online freedom Nepal’s crackdown on social media companies, which led to protests and police killing at least 19 people Monday, is part of a yearslong decline of internet freedoms around the world as even democracies seek to curtail online speech The Independent UK · Sep 9, 2025
"Authoritarians in the Academy": The Free Speech Recession When universities are global institutions, the global speech environment matters. Reason · Sep 8, 2025
Euronews · Aug 11, 2025 Hungary: The criticisms, the responses and some facts An insight into nine of the battlefields on which Viktor Orbán and the European Union are facing off.
Reason · Aug 7, 2025 Trump Calls Zelenskyy a 'Dictator' but Not Putin. Does He Know What a Dictator Is? He calls Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator,” but not Vladimir Putin.
The Conversation · May 16, 2025 Saudi Arabia has big AI ambitions. They could come at the cost of human rights This week, on his tour of the Middle East, United States President Donald Trump unveiled a suite of new deals with Saudi Arabia.
Radio France Internationale · Feb 26, 2025 Global freedom in decline with setbacks in Africa, the US and the far right in Europe The 2025 report from the Freedom House think-tank has highlighted a continued, worldwide decline in freedom, with authoritarian regimes on the rise and tightening their grip.
The Guardian - UK · Feb 12, 2025 China tops list of countries trying to silence exiled dissidents over past decade, study shows Russia, Turkey and Egypt also among worst perpetrators of transnational repression around the globe
The Conversation · Jan 27, 2025 I study democracy worldwide − here’s how Texas is eroding human rights, free expression and civil liberties While concerns about the future of American democracy dominate headlines worldwide, millions of Texans are already seeing a rapid decline in democratic standards.
The Conversation · Jan 23, 2025 What another Lukashenko ‘victory’ will mean for Europe’s security – and that of Belarus’ citizenry Europe’s longest-serving authoritarian leader, Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko, is set to run for a seventh term on Jan. 26, 2025. And even before the first vote is counted, it can be stated with a fair degree of confidence that he will prevail.
The Guardian - UK · Oct 28, 2024 ‘They want to show no one can escape’: how the long arm of Russia is reaching out for Putin critics in exile Moscow is using ties with neighbouring countries to deport and arrest anti-war Russians who fled after invasion of Ukraine
The Guardian - AU · Oct 27, 2024 Democracy won the 20th century. But has its success bred lethal complacency in the 21st? We never know who is going to rule but the beauty of democracy is that we know we can always get rid of them. So why wouldn’t we fight like blazes to preserve it?
The Conversation · Oct 25, 2024 Foreign countries are helping autocracies repress exiled dissidents in return for economic gain Governments, even democratic ones, are willing to aid autocracies in silencing exiled dissidents if the host nation thinks it’s in its economic interest.
The Conversation · Oct 23, 2024 Human rights advocate Alexander Lapshin: No place to go, but still fighting for global freedom Global freedom has been in decline for nearly two decades, according to Freedom House, an American non-profit organization devoted to supporting democracy around the world.