Dear Friends,

I have a little announcement, about a panel I have organized for 10th April at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit 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 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.

Best wishes,

Emma