[Air-L] Panel on Censorship and Freedom of Expression at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit

[Dr. Emma Briant]

Dear Friends,

I have a little announcement, about a panel I have organized for 10th April
at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/cambridge-disinformation-summit/posts/?feedView=all>
this
year on Censorship and Freedom of Expression are the most important rising
issue in the context of resurgent authoritarianism. Widespread use of
propaganda and disinformation tactics are almost always accompanied by a
wider information control. This is a global feature of autocratization and the
number of autocratizing countries has grown
<https://www.v-dem.net/documents/75/V-Dem_Institute_Democracy_Report_2026_lowres.pdf>
from
12 in 2005 to 44 in 2025, now affecting 3.4Bn people worldwide. But the
increasing jeopardy for freedom of expression is especially worrying to see
in liberal democracies like the United States. It shifts international
norms, making other autocratic leaders elsewhere feel empowered to go
further in disregarding the rights of their citizens.

Around the world, we are seeing new technologies such as AI being used,
technology-enabled harassment, doxing and intimidation, surveillance or
jamming internet service, playing a role in silencing speech, alongside
old-fashioned state directed censorship, monopoly power, lawfare,
imprisonment, and even murder.

But democracy defenders have learned much from the fight and developed
robust resources to fight back and empower publics against this threat. I
am delighted that the fearless:

Nora Benavidez, Senior Counsel and Director of Digital Justice and Civil
Rights at Free Press, leading its democracy and tech initiatives

Jameel Jaffer, who directs the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia
University, which sponsors litigation and research at the intersection of
free speech and new technology

Jemimah Steinfeld, who is CEO of the freedom of expression organization
Index on Censorship

...have kindly agreed to join me on the panel to discuss what censorship
means today, how freedom of expression is being threatened, and how to
defend against the evolving threats to protect people's rights.

For anyone unable to attend in person, there will be video of the
discussion made available after event. You can also still watch the panel I
organized last year on Tackling Threats to Researchers here
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M9lhTm-7f0>.

Best wishes,

Emma

-- 
*Dr Emma L Briant*

Visiting Associate Professor at University of Notre Dame, USA
Fellow at Bard College, Human Rights Project, USA
Associate at George Washington University, Institute for Public Diplomacy
and Global Communication, USA
Associate at University of Cambridge, Center for Financial Reporting &
Accountability, UK
Affiliate at Monash University, Monash Global Peace and Security Centre,
Australia
Owner, Director and Consultant: Maven of Persuasion LLC

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Change *(2015)

📘 Author of: *Bad News for Refugees* (2013, with Philo and Donald)

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out today is." - Steve Martin
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