New Internationalist NI546, Nov/Dec 2023

Spying on Dissent

It has never been easier for democracies and dictatorships alike to spy on dissent. Chilling spyware tools that turn dissenters’ phones into weapons to listen in on their every move, sinister drones that monitor protests from above and indiscriminate facial recognition are just a few of the dystopian technologies diluting our rights and liberties. In this
edition we explore the ripple effect of intrusive surveillance on civil society and social movements, and look at how activists are fighting back.

Elsewhere in this issue, Natasha Ion reports from Tunisia on how people are taking on the polluting phosphate industry, and Pranay Somayajula explores how the Indian government is weaponising tourism in Kashmir.