Examples of where it worked, at least for a while

Following on from yesterday’s blog here is the next question I asked ChatGPT

“How many totalitarian states have been converted to democracy because the internet and its associated technologies made it impossible for those in power to carry on as before?”

Here is the answer I received

“There is no definitive number of totalitarian states that have been converted to democracy solely because of the internet and its associated technologies. The internet has played a significant role in various political transitions and uprisings, but it is usually one of many factors that contribute to such changes. In the most well-known cases where the internet influenced political change, the transition to democracy was often complex, with multiple contributing factors beyond just the internet.

Notable Examples:

1. Tunisia (2011, Arab Spring):
   • The internet, particularly social media, played a critical role in organizing protests and spreading information that led to the ousting of the authoritarian regime. Tunisia transitioned to a democracy following these events, making it one of the few clear examples where the internet played a key role in a successful democratic transition.
2. Egypt (2011, Arab Spring):
   • The internet was crucial in mobilizing mass protests against the authoritarian regime. Although Hosni Mubarak was overthrown, Egypt’s path to democracy has been troubled, and the country eventually returned to authoritarian rule under a different leader.
3. Eastern Europe (Late 1980s to Early 1990s):
   • Although the internet was not widespread during the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, early digital technologies like satellite TV and fax machines helped spread democratic ideas. In later years, the internet facilitated the consolidation of democracy in some of these countries.

Conclusion:

While the internet has been an important tool in challenging authoritarian regimes, leading to democratic transitions in some cases, it is not the sole or even primary cause in most instances. The transition from totalitarianism to democracy usually involves a combination of factors, including economic pressures, international influence, internal political dynamics, and, increasingly, digital technologies. However, as of now, there is no clear example of a state where the internet alone made it impossible for a totalitarian regime to continue, leading directly to democracy.”

—000—

As with yesterday’s blog, the above is not a complete or definitive answer to the question I posed. And there is, of course, a lot more to the internet than “just” its impact in the realm of politics, liberty and oppression. But the point is whenever certain types of regulatory reform are proposed within long-established liberal democracies, almost always the first arguments we hear against them concern the threats they allegedly pose in those departments both within the liberal democracy itself and in the poor benighted lands cursed with authoritarian regimes. This sets politicians and journalists on edge.

The case for the internet as a liberation technology is hugely overstated and, in truth, far too often has been corrupted into and cynically deployed as a self-interested marketing and propaganda tool, either by Big Tech itself, by the lobbying organizations whom they help fund, or by a number of not-for-profits who see the world in a very particular way.

I will end this short series of blogs with another one which I will publish soon. It will make a lot less use of Chat GPT.